Luzula macrantha

Family: Juncaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Luzula macrantha is a California native perennial found in grasslands, meadows, chaparral openings, bluffs, and open forests at elevations below 1,350 meters. Its flowers emerge in dense umbels with dark brown to blackish perianth parts, creating small clusters in native habitats. Growing in dense tufts with sturdy stems 7 to 63 centimeters tall, this plant develops bulb-like stem bases and flat leaves that become channeled near their tips. Its leaves are distinctive, measuring 3.5 to 15 centimeters long, 1.5 to 6 millimeters wide, with ciliate edges and thickened, blunt tips. The small dark flowers are arranged in 4 to 15-flowered umbels, with perianth parts that are predominantly dark brown to blackish in color.

Habitat: Grasslands, meadows, openings in chaparral, bluffs, open forest, dry to seasonally moist slopes, serpentine tolerant

Elevation: <1350 m

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