Luzula comosa var. comosa

Hairy wood rush

Family: Juncaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Hairy wood rush is a California native perennial found in northwestern California, Sierra Nevada, central California Coast, and San Francisco Bay Area in marsh edges, damp ditches, open forests, and mesic clearings at elevations up to 650 meters. Flowering from June to July, this plant produces small, densely clustered brown to tan flower heads in compact terminal clusters 1.3 to 3 centimeters wide. Growing with slender stems 14 to 78 centimeters tall, often with a bulb-like base, it forms erect, congested clusters of 4 to 10 spikes. Its leaves are typically clustered, with prominent or subtle inflorescence bracts that support 4 to 15 small flowers per spike. The plant produces tiny seeds with small appendages, highlighting its delicate woodland rush characteristics.

Habitat: Marsh edges, shores, damp ditches, mesic clearings, open forest, full sun or partial shade, tolerant of serpentine

Bloom period: Jun-Jul

Elevation: <= 650 m

Bioregions: NW, SN, CCo, SnFrB

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