Juncus phaeocephalus var. paniculatus

Panicled rush, Panicled Rush

Family: Juncaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Panicled rush is a California native perennial found in northern Coast Ranges, southern Sacramento Valley, central and southern Coast Ranges, San Francisco Bay Area, southern California, San Bernardino Mountains, and Peninsular Ranges in wet coastal and inland habitats at elevations below 2,200 meters. Flowering clusters appear in summer, producing small brownish flower heads generally 5 to 10 millimeters wide. Growing with slender stems 20 to 50 centimeters tall, this rush forms dense, complex inflorescences. Its stems are typically clustered with multiple branching flower clusters, creating a distinctive panicle-like appearance. The plant thrives in moist environments, adapting to both coastal and inland wet areas across southern California's diverse landscapes.

Habitat: Wet places, coastal, inland

Elevation: < 2200 m

Bioregions: NCo, s ScV, CCo, SnFrB, SCo, SnBr, PR.

California counties: Contra Costa, Riverside, Marin, San Mateo, Solano, Alameda, Lake, Monterey, Santa Clara, Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, San Diego, Alpine, Sonoma, Santa Barbara, Colusa, Ventura, Mendocino, Napa, Humboldt, Santa Cruz, Plumas, Sacramento, Placer, San Joaquin, Butte, Merced, San Francisco, San Benito

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