Schoenus nigricans

Black bog-rush

Family: Cyperaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 2B.2

Black bog-rush is a rare (CNPS 2B.2) California native perennial found in the San Gabriel Mountains, San Bernardno Mountains, and eastern Mojave Desert in marshes, swamps, and springs with alkaline soils at elevations below 1,500 meters. Flowering from August to September, this rush produces inconspicuous flowers with white-tinged fruits. Growing 20 to 70 centimeters tall with erect, wiry stems less than 1 millimeter in diameter, it has a distinctive spongy center with internal air cavities. Its leaves are narrow, less than 1 millimeter wide, with three-angled blades and dark black sheaths that split along the inner surface. The plant forms a caudex-like rhizome and produces small ovoid-ellipsoid fruits approximately 1 to 1.5 millimeters long.

Habitat: Marshes, swamps, springs, generally alkaline soils

Bloom period: Aug-Sep

Elevation: < 1500 m

Bioregions: SnGb, SnBr, DMoj

California counties: San Bernardino, Inyo

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