Juncus orthophyllus
Straightleaved rush
(c) Steve Matson, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Juncaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Juncus orthophyllus (Straightleaved rush) is a native California grass in the Juncaceae family, recognized by distinctive scaly dark rhizome and bristle-tipped flowers.
Straightleaved rush is a California native perennial found in northern California, the Cascade Range, northern Sierra Nevada, Transverse Ranges, Peninsular Ranges, and desert mountains in inland wet places like meadows and streambanks at elevations of 1,200 to 3,500 meters. Flowering from May to July, this rush produces brown and green flowers in small clusters with 6 to 10 flowers. Growing with erect stems 20 to 50 centimeters tall, it develops from a dark, scaly, creeping rhizome. Its leaves are primarily basal, flat-sided, 2 to 6 millimeters wide, with cauline leaves sparse and minimal. The fruit is slightly shorter than the perianth, with a small beak and tiny brown seeds measuring 0.4 to 0.6 millimeters.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 60 sympatric species; distinctive scaly dark rhizome and bristle-tipped flowers
Habitat and range
Habitat: Inland wet places, especially meadows, streambanks in forest
Elevation: 1200-3500 m
California counties: Plumas, San Bernardino, Alpine, Mono, Nevada, Shasta, Tehama, Tuolumne, Tulare, El Dorado, Fresno, Lassen, Madera, Mariposa, Modoc, Placer, Siskiyou, Sonoma, Inyo, Butte, Mendocino, Sierra, Yuba, Trinity, Napa, Los Angeles, Calaveras, San Luis Obispo, Del Norte, Humboldt, Santa Barbara
Outside California: to Washington, Idaho, Nevada
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 orthophyllus native to California?
Yes. Juncus orthophyllus is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Juncus orthophyllus grow?
Juncus orthophyllus occurs in Plumas, San Bernardino, Alpine, Mono, Nevada, Shasta, Tehama, Tuolumne and other counties, at elevations of 1200-3500 m.
What plant family does Juncus orthophyllus belong to?
Juncus orthophyllus is in the Juncaceae family, genus Juncus.
What habitat does Juncus orthophyllus grow in?
Juncus orthophyllus grows in Inland wet places, especially meadows, streambanks in forest.
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.