Luzula divaricata

Family: Juncaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Divaricate woodrush is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, Cascade Range high elevations, and Sierra Nevada High Sierra in subalpine forest openings to alpine slopes at elevations of 1,900 to 3,700 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces pale to red-brown flowers in loose, spheric panicles up to 14 centimeters wide with branches spreading at nearly 90-degree angles. Growing densely tufted with pale green stems 15 to 39 centimeters tall, it forms compact clusters with glabrous foliage. Its flat leaf blades are 4 to 6 millimeters wide, with basal leaves up to 20 centimeters long and cauline leaves shorter, tapering to acute tips. The fruit is ovoid-triangular, pale to dark brown, and slightly longer than the flower's perianth parts.

Habitat: Subalpine forest openings to alpine slopes

Bloom period: Jun-Aug

Elevation: 1900-3700 m

Bioregions: KR, CaRH, SNH

California counties: Tulare, Inyo, Alpine, El Dorado, Fresno, Madera, Mariposa, Mono, Nevada, Plumas, Shasta, Siskiyou, Trinity, Tuolumne, Placer, Sierra, Butte

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