Luzula subsessilis
Pacific woodrush
Family: Juncaceae · Type: perennial · Native
Pacific woodrush is a California native perennial found in northern Coast Ranges, central Sierra Nevada Forest, Sierra Nevada High Country, and central Coast Ranges in grasslands, dunes, open dry forest, ledges, scrub, and post-fire chaparral at elevations below 1,350 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces clusters of small, dark brown to blackish flowers with pale margins. Growing in dense tufts 6 to 61 centimeters tall with bulb-like stem bases, it forms sturdy clumps with flat leaves that have distinctive thickened, blunt tips. Its basal leaves are 4 to 26 centimeters long and 3 to 6 millimeters wide, while cauline leaves range from 2.5 to 13 centimeters in length. The inflorescence is a dense, erect head-like cluster that can be ovoid or oblong, typically containing 10 to 50 flowers in compact arrangements.
Habitat: Grasslands, dunes, open dry forest, ledges, scrub, post-fire chaparral
Bloom period: Apr-Jul
Elevation: < 1350 m
Bioregions: NCoR, c&s SNF, SNH, CCo
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.