Juncus bryoides

Moss rush, Moss Rush

Family: Juncaceae · Type: annual · Native

Moss rush is a California native annual found in the Sierra Nevada, Cascade Range, southern Coast Ranges, Transverse Ranges, Peninsular Ranges, and northeastern Sierra Nevada in wet meadows, washes, and granitic seeps at elevations of 600 to 3,600 meters. This diminutive plant forms dense, reddish-brown tufts with delicate hair-like stems less than 0.2 millimeters wide, growing to just 2.2 centimeters tall. Growing in compact clusters with very short stems, it produces tiny flowers with 4 to 8 shiny perianth parts that curve over the small fruit. Its leaves are basal, typically one-quarter to equal the stem length, with no sheath appendages. The plant produces minimal reproductive structures, with flowers occurring singly on stems and seeds measuring just 0.3 to 0.5 millimeters long.

Habitat: Common. Wet places, washes, meadows, granitic seeps

Elevation: 600-3600 m

Bioregions: CaRH, SNH, SCoR, TR, PR, SNE

California counties: Inyo, Riverside, San Diego, Fresno, Kern, Mono, Monterey, San Bernardino, Madera, Tulare, Lassen, Tuolumne, Santa Barbara, Sierra, Plumas, El Dorado

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.