Juncus phaeocephalus

Brown headed rush

Family: Juncaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Brown headed rush is a California native perennial found in coastal and central western California wetland and riparian habitats. Flowering from May to July, this rush produces dark brown to dark purple or nearly black shiny flowers in dense clusters with 8 or more flowers. Growing 10 to 50 centimeters tall with a stout, creeping rhizome and flat stems, it forms dense stands in wet environments. Its leaves are flat, 1.5 to 4 millimeters wide, with edges oriented toward the stem and extending beyond the stem height, featuring fine-pointed tips. The plant produces distinctive fruits with long-tapered beaks that occasionally extend beyond the dark perianth parts.

California counties: Orange, Los Angeles, Mendocino, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, Ventura, San Mateo, San Luis Obispo, Sonoma, Marin, Colusa, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Alameda, Monterey, Humboldt, Del Norte, Contra Costa, San Diego, Placer, Inyo, Nevada, Butte, Stanislaus

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