Rhynchospora californica

California beaked-rush

Family: Cyperaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1

California beaked-rush is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native perennial found in northern Coast Ranges (Sonoma County), northern Sierra Nevada foothills (Butte County), and central Coast Ranges (Marin County) in marshes and seeps at elevations below 200 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces brown spikelets with delicate white-tipped perianth bristles approximately 4 to 5 millimeters long. Growing with slender stems and narrow leaf blades 2 to 3 millimeters wide, it forms dense clusters in wet habitats. Its leaves are thin and grass-like, with spikelets featuring bristles that generally extend beyond the small tubercle at the fruit's tip. The fruit is approximately 3 millimeters long, with a wrinkled surface and a wide, stalk-like base topped by a small tubercle.

Habitat: Marshes, seeps

Bloom period: May-Jul

Elevation: < 200 m

Bioregions: NCoRO (Pitkin Marsh, Sonoma Co.), n SNF (Butte Co.), CCo (Point Reyes, Marin Co.).

California counties: Sonoma, Butte, Marin, Nevada, Napa, Plumas

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