Juncus trilocularis

Foothill rush, Foothill Rush

Family: Juncaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Foothill rush is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada Foothills, northern Sierra Nevada, and Modoc Plateau in moist meadows and mountain washes at elevations of 300 to 1,600 meters. This rush forms dense tufted clusters with stiff, stout stems rising 30 to 50 centimeters tall, featuring distinctive conspicuous membranous sheath appendages. Growing with stiff, spreading leaves that are primarily basal, the plant has a structured growth habit with leaves much shorter than its robust stems. Its flowers feature perianth parts 4 to 5.5 millimeters long with long-pointed sepals, producing six stamens with anthers longer than their filaments. The fruit is widely oblong and slightly three-angled, with seeds that are subtly twisted and bearing minute appendages.

Habitat: Meadows moist in spring, washes

Elevation: 300-1600 m

Bioregions: KR, CaRH, SNF, n SNH, MP

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