Juncus bulbosus

Bulbous rush

Family: Juncaceae · Type: perennial · Not Native

Bulbous rush is a naturalized perennial found in the northern California coast region, specifically Mendocino County, in marshes and ponds at elevations below 100 meters. When flowering, this rush produces dark petals that are ovate to lanceolate, with tiny clusters of 3 to 16 flowers. Growing in matted clusters 1 to 30 centimeters tall, it forms distinctive emergent stems that can root at the nodes and create new plantlets. Its early submerged leaves are hair-like and less than 20 centimeters long, with cylindrical blades containing multiple air chambers. The plant produces small oblong fruits 2 to 3.5 millimeters long with tiny seed appendages, characteristic of its adaptable aquatic growth habit.

Habitat: Marshes, ponds

Elevation: < 100 m

Bioregions: NCo (Mendocino Co.)

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