Schoenoplectus subterminalis
Water bulrush, Water Bulrush
(c) Nathan Aaron, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Cyperaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 2B.3
Schoenoplectus subterminalis (Water bulrush) is a native California grass in the Cyperaceae family, recognized by single spikelet per stem and very thin stems with numerous narrow leaves.
Water bulrush is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, northern California high mountains, and Sierra Nevada Highlands in fresh lakes and streams low in nutrients at elevations below 2,300 meters. Flowering during summer, this plant produces delicate spikelets 5 to 15 millimeters long with small flowers emerging from erect bracts. Growing up to 1.5 meters tall with a lax structure when submersed, it develops from a slender rhizome and has thin cylindrical stems less than 1 millimeter in diameter. Its leaves are extremely narrow, measuring 0.2 to 1 millimeter wide, with typically 3 to 20 blades emerging from the plant's base. The fruit is a smooth, three-sided structure measuring 2.5 to 3.5 millimeters long, with three persistent stigmas.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 6 sympatric species; distinguished by single spikelet per stem and very thin stems with numerous narrow leaves
Habitat and range
Habitat: Fresh lakes, streams low in nutrients
Elevation: < 2300 m
California counties: Plumas, Butte, Del Norte, Tehama, Nevada, Lassen, Tuolumne, El Dorado, Trinity, Humboldt
Outside California: to Alaska, Utah, Minnesota to Newfoundland, Florida
Bloom period
Schoenoplectus subterminalis blooms Summer.
Conservation status
CNPS 2B.3
How to tell it apart
vs Juncus: Schoenoplectus has flowers in spikelets with overlapping scales; Juncus has separate flowers with 6 perianth parts.; vs Typha: Schoenoplectus has small spikelets of tiny flowers; Typha has dense brown cylindrical flower spikes (cattails).; vs Bolboschoenus: Schoenoplectus has smooth flower scales; Bolboschoenus scales are fuzzy-hairy.; vs Carex: Schoenoplectus has bisexual flowers in open spikelets; Carex has separate male/female flowers in enclosed sacs.; vs Scirpus: Schoenoplectus has dull bracts with notched tips; Scirpus bracts are pointed and often reddish-tinged.
Frequently asked questions
Is Schoenoplectus subterminalis native to California?
Yes. Schoenoplectus subterminalis is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Schoenoplectus subterminalis bloom?
Schoenoplectus subterminalis blooms Summer.
Where in California does Schoenoplectus subterminalis grow?
Schoenoplectus subterminalis occurs in Plumas, Butte, Del Norte, Tehama, Nevada, Lassen, Tuolumne, El Dorado and other counties, at elevations of < 2300 m.
What plant family does Schoenoplectus subterminalis belong to?
Schoenoplectus subterminalis is in the Cyperaceae family, genus Schoenoplectus.
Is Schoenoplectus subterminalis rare or endangered?
Schoenoplectus subterminalis carries California Rare Plant Rank 2B.3, state rank S3.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani — Soft-stem bulrush
- Schoenoplectus triqueter — Three-sided bulrush
- Schoenoplectus acutus var. occidentalis — Common tule
- Schoenoplectus americanus — Olney's three-square bulrush
- Schoenoplectus californicus — Southern bulrush
- Schoenoplectus heterochaetus — Slender bulrush
- Schoenus nigricans — Black bog-rush
- Schoenus sp.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.