Juncus torreyi

Torrey's rush

Family: Juncaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Torrey's rush is a California native perennial found in the Tehama, San Joaquin Valley, Central Coast, Southern Coast, Western Transverse Ranges, San Gabriel Mountains, Peninsular Ranges, Great Basin, and desert regions in meadows and moist woodland at elevations below 1,800 meters. With slender flowers blooming during the summer months, this rush produces delicate pale greenish-white floral clusters. Growing robustly with stout stems 30 to 100 centimeters tall and a thin creeping rhizome, the plant forms dense clumps in wet areas. Its leaves feature prominent sheath appendages and cylindrical blades with complete crosswalls, creating a distinctive architectural structure. The plant produces thin, three-angled fruits with seeds positioned below the middle, typical of rushes in moist habitats.

Habitat: Meadows, moist woodland

Elevation: < 1800 m

Bioregions: Teh, SnJV, CCo, SCo, WTR, SnGb, PR (exc SnJt), GB (exc Wrn), D

California counties: San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Riverside, Mendocino, Modoc, San Diego, Orange, Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Ventura, Monterey, Mono, Del Norte

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