Luzula piperi

Piper's woodrush

Family: Juncaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Piper's woodrush is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges on subalpine and alpine slopes at elevations of 2,100 to 2,600 meters. Flowering in July, this plant produces small clusters of flowers with dark brown perianth parts in arching, nodding inflorescences 4 to 10 centimeters long. Growing in dense tufts 20 to 30 centimeters tall, it features blue- to gray-green leaves that turn purple in autumn. Its basal leaves are 5 to 10 centimeters long and 3 to 5 millimeters wide, with cauline leaves becoming progressively shorter up the stem. The plant produces shiny blackish to dark brown capsules that are slightly longer than the perianth, with small pale to dark brown seeds.

Habitat: Subalpine and alpine slopes, granitic or volcanic

Bloom period: Jul

Elevation: 2100-2600 m

Bioregions: KR

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