Juncus howellii
Howell's rush
Family: Juncaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Juncus howellii (Howell's rush) is a native California grass in the Juncaceae family, recognized by meadow habitat, flat leaves with rough margins, and large flowers with long seed appendages.
Howell's rush is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, northern California Ranges, and northern Sierra Nevada in mountain meadows at elevations of 750 to 2,380 meters. The plant has a distinctive rhizomatous growth, producing multiple stems 15 to 60 centimeters tall with primarily basal leaves. Its slender leaves are flat-sided, 1.4 to 4.5 millimeters wide, with minutely scabrous margins and no visible crosswalls. The rush forms clusters of 5 to 20 small flowers, with perianth parts 5 to 6.5 millimeters long and distinctive dark brown or green midveins. Its seeds are tiny, measuring 0.7 to 1 millimeters long with one or two appendages extending at least half the seed's body length.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 45 sympatric species; key features are meadow habitat, flat leaves with rough margins, and large flowers with long seed appendages
Habitat and range
Habitat: Meadows
Elevation: 750-2380 m
California counties: Plumas, Butte, Del Norte, Tehama, Lassen, Nevada, Trinity, Siskiyou, Lake, Shasta, Yuba, Colusa, Glenn, Humboldt, Mendocino, Mono, El Dorado
Outside California: Oregon
How to tell it apart
vs Schoenoplectus: Juncus has leaf blades present; Schoenoplectus is leafless with only bladeless sheaths at base.; vs Carex: Juncus has round or flattened stems; Carex has triangular stems you can feel.; vs Luzula: Run finger along leaf edge - smooth = Juncus, hairy = Luzula.; vs Elegia: Juncus has small individual flowers; Elegia has showy papery bracts and branching structure.; vs Cyperus: Juncus has round stems and capsules; Cyperus has triangular stems and lens-shaped achenes.
Frequently asked questions
Is Juncus howellii native to California?
Yes. Juncus howellii is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Juncus howellii grow?
Juncus howellii occurs in Plumas, Butte, Del Norte, Tehama, Lassen, Nevada, Trinity, Siskiyou and other counties, at elevations of 750-2380 m.
What plant family does Juncus howellii belong to?
Juncus howellii is in the Juncaceae family, genus Juncus.
What habitat does Juncus howellii grow in?
Juncus howellii grows in Meadows.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.