Juncus capitatus

Dwarf rush, Dwarf Rush

Family: Juncaceae · Type: annual · Not Native

Dwarf rush is a naturalized annual found in northern California Coast, northern Coast Ranges, Cascade Range foothills, northern and central Sierra Nevada foothills, Central Valley, central Coast, and San Francisco Bay Area in vernal pools, swales, damp meadows, and disturbed dunes at elevations below 1,000 meters. The plant produces tiny flowers in compact clusters with 2 to 6 blooms per stem. Growing to less than 10 centimeters tall with thread-like stems that are channeled and angled, this delicate rush has a distinctive growth habit. Its basal leaves measure 1.5 to 3.5 centimeters long with margins that roll inward, and lower bracts extending beyond the flower clusters. The fruit is smaller than the petals and ovoid in shape, containing tiny asymmetric seeds approximately 0.2 to 0.3 millimeters long.

Habitat: Uncommon. Vernal pools, swales, damp meadows, creeks, disturbed dunes

Elevation: < 1000 m

Bioregions: NCo, NCoR, CaRF, n&ampc SNF, GV, CCo, SnFrB

California counties: Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Humboldt, Santa Cruz, Solano, Yuba, Sacramento, Del Norte, Sonoma, Lake, Marin, Sutter, Tehama, Placer, Shasta, Mendocino, Stanislaus, Napa, El Dorado, Alameda, Contra Costa, Merced, Monterey, San Mateo

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