Juncus bufonius, known as Toad Rush, is a common annual species in the Juncaceae family found worldwide. It grows in moist and muddy places and is considered a weed in many areas. This is an annual monocot that is quite variable in appearance. It is sometimes described as a complex of variants labeled with one species name. There are three recognized varieties in California that are weakly delineated and have overlapping ranges. It is generally a green clumping grasslike rush with many thin stems wrapped with few threadlike leaves. The flowers are borne in flower clusters and also in the joint where the flower cluster branches off of the stem. The flowering period is from September through March and is a grassy flower folded within tough leafs and sepals.

Toad Rush (Juncus bufonius var. bufonius) is a native grass that grows in northern, southern and central California. It tends to grow in moist, open places, at elevations from 0-10500 feet.

Clustered Toad Rush (Juncus bufonius var. congestus) is a native grass that grows in northern, southern and central California. It tends to grow in moist, open places, at elevations from 0-10500 feet.

Juncus confusus is a species of rush known by the common name Colorado rush. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to northern California to Colorado, where it grows in coniferous forests and wet, grassy areas such as mountain meadows. It is a bunching rhizomatous perennial herb which grows to a maximum height between 30 and 50 centimeters. Its thready leaves grow from the base of the light green stems to about 15 centimeters long. The flower cluster atop the stem is an array of individual flowers and there is a long leaf at the base which may be up to 8 centimeters in length. Each flower has long, pointed petals with dark and light longitudinal stripes and membranous, translucent borders. There are six stamens. The fruit is a light to dark brown oval-shaped or rounded capsule.

Juncus covillei is a species of rush known by the common name Coville's rush. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to Idaho to California, where it grows in moist habitat, often in forested areas. This is a perennial herb forming clumps of erect stems up to about 25 centimeters tall from a thick rhizome. The inflorescence is made up of several clusters of brown or green flowers.

Juncus drummondii is a species of rush known by the common name Drummond's rush. It is native to western North America from northern Canada and Alaska to New Mexico, where it grows in wet coniferous forest and alpine meadows and slopes. This is a perennial herb forming narrow, erect tufts to about 40 centimeters in maximum height. The leaves are basal and most have no real blades; instead they form a sheath around the stem a few centimeters long. The flower cluster is borne on the side of the stem toward the top. There is a long, cylindrical leaf at the base which extends out past the flowers. Each flower is on a thin pedicel. The thick petals are dark brown, sometimes with green striping and thin, transparent edges. There are six stamens with yellowish anthers, and red stigmas. The fruit is a capsule.

Dubius Rush (Juncus dubius) is a native grass that grows in northern, southern and central California. It tends to grow in wet places, at elevations from 0-11000 feet.

Dudley's Rush (Juncus dudleyi) is a rare native grass that grows in Central and Northern California, primarily in the Klamath Mountain Range region. It tends to grow in wet places, at elevations from 0-6600 feet.

Soft rush (Juncus effusus) is a member of the Juncaceae (Rush) family found growing in wet areas, as indicated by the common name. It is very widespread and native to most continents; for this reason there are a number of native and non-native subspecies and varieties, and numerous synonyms. It grows in large clumps about 1.5 meters (5 feet) tall at the water's edge along streams, ditches and ponds and can be invasive anywhere with moist soil. It is commonly found growing in humus-rich areas such as marshes, ditches, fens, and beaver dams. It can be useful around ornamental ponds and bioswales. It is very easy to grow, and is great native alternative to photinia and raphiolepis.

Horticultural selection from Juncus effusus.

Bog Rush (Juncus effusus var. pacificus) is a native grass that grows in northern, southern and central California. It tends to grow in wet places, at elevations from - feet.

Juncus ensifolius is a species of rush known by the common name swordleaf rush. It is native to much of western North America from Alaska to central Mexico, and into eastern Canada. It is present in Japan and far eastern Russia, and it has been introduced to many other regions of the world, including Europe, New Zealand, and Australia. It is a plant of wet areas in many types of habitat. This is a rhizomatous perennial herb forming clumps of stems 20 to 60 centimeters tall. The flat but curving leaves are mostly located at the base of the stems and are variable in length. The flower cluster is an array of many rounded clusters of many flowers each. Each flower has a number of dark brown to black petals a few millimeters long and usually three small stamens enclosed between them. The fruit is an oblong capsule with a small beak on the tip.

Falcate Rush (Juncus falcatus) is a native grass that grows in Northern, Southern and Central California, primarily in the North Coast, the Central Coast and South Coast regions. It tends to grow in moist, sandy places, at elevations from 0-300 feet.

Juncus hemiendytus is a species of rush known by the common name Herman's dwarf rush. It is native to the western United States, where it grows in moist places, especially areas that are wet in spring, such as vernal pools. This is a very small annual herb forming dense clumps of hair-thin reddish stems no more than about 3 centimeters tall. The tiny, thready leaves surrounding the stems are up to about 2 centimeters long. Each stem usually bears one reddish flower, which is made up of segments 2 or 3 millimeters long curving around the developing fruit.

Bog Rush (Juncus effusus var. brunneus) is a native grass that grows in Northern, Southern and Central California, primarily in the North Coast, the Central Coast and South Coast regions. It tends to grow in wet places, at elevations from 0-8200 feet.

Juncus kelloggii is a species of rush known by the common name Kellogg's dwarf rush. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to California, where it grows in low, wet spots in meadows and other grassy areas, for example, vernal pools. Juncus kelloggii is a tiny annual herb forming small, dense clumps of hairlike reddish stems no more than a few centimeters tall. The stems are surrounded by a few thready leaves. The inflorescence is a cluster of approximately three flowers atop the small stems. Each flower is made up of a few reddish segments just 2 or 3 millimeters long curved around the developing fruit.

Juncus leiospermus is an uncommon species of rush known by the common name Red Bluff dwarf rush. It is endemic to California, where it is known only from the Central Valley and adjacent Sierra Nevada foothills to the east. Juncus leiospermus is a plant of vernal pools and other wet seasonal depressions in the local habitat. It is a small annual herb forming dense clumps of hairlike reddish brown stems no more than 10-11 centimetres (3. 9-4. 3 in) tall. The stems are surrounded by a few thready leaves. Juncus leiospermus is a plant of vernal pools and other wet seasonal depressions in the local habitat. It is a small annual herb forming dense clumps of hairlike reddish brown stems no more than 10-11 centimetres (3. 9-4. 3 in) tall. The stems are surrounded by a few thready leaves. The inflorescence is a single cluster of several reddish flowers atop the small stems.

Juncus longistylis is a species of rush known by the common name longstyle rush. It is native to much of North America, including most of the United States and the southern Canadian provinces. It grows in moist terrestrial habitat, such as mountain meadows. It is a rhizomatous perennial herb forming clumps of slender stems up to about 60 centimeters tall. The flower cluster is made up of one to nine clusters of a few tiny flowers each. The flower is made up of several segments which are green with translucent margins.

Juncus macrophyllus is a species of rush known by the common name longleaf rush. It is native to the southwestern United States and Baja California, where it grows in wet spots in several types of local habitat, such as chaparral. Juncus macrophyllus is a rhizomatous perennial herb forming tufts of stems up to one meter tall. The inflorescence is an open array of many clusters of a few flowers each. The flower has several segments each about 5 millimeters long.

Juncus mertensianus is a species of rush known by the common name Mertens' rush. It is native to much of western North America from Alaska to Saskatchewan to New Mexico, where it grows in wet mountainous areas such as riverbanks and alpine meadows. This is a clumping perennial herb growing from a vertical rhizome. Its smooth, flat stems grow to a maximum height near 40 centimeters. Its few leaves are located at the base and also along the stem. The flower cluster is made up of usually one cluster of many flowers. Each flower has shiny dark brown to black petals 3 to 4 millimeters long, six stamens with yellowish anthers, and long reddish stigmas. The fruit is an oblong capsule.

Juncus mexicanus (Mexican Rush) is native to the southwestern quadrant of the United States and parts of Mexico and Central and South America. It is a plant of moist areas in a great number of habitats, from coast to desert to mountain and from sea level to 10,000 ft. It may be found in standing water or saturated soil. This is a rhizomatous perennial herb which varies in appearance. The thin erect stems reach a maximum height anywhere from 10 to 80 centimeters. The leaves grow from the base of the stem and can exceed 20 centimeters in length. The flower cluster usually sprouts from the side of the stem rather than the tip. The flowers grow on long peduncles. Each individual flower has thick petals with longitudinal stripes which vary in color from bright to dark. It has six stamens with very large anthers, and long stigmas. This species is sometimes treated as a variant of Juncus arcticus or Juncus balticus.

Juncus nevadensis is a species of rush known by the common name Sierra rush. It is native to much of western North America from British Columbia to New Mexico, where it grows in wet areas in many habitat types. In California it is found primarily in the Sierras. This is a rhizomatous perennial herb that is variable in appearance. Its thin, smooth stems reach a maximum height between 10 and 70 centimeters. The thin green leaves may be up to 30 centimeters long. The flower clusters generally contain a number of flowers, with each flower bearing dark to very light brown petals, six stamens with large anthers, and very long stigmas. The fruit is a shiny chestnut brown capsule This is a plant for wet areas.

Juncus nodosus is a species of rush known by the common name knotted rush. It is native to much of North America from northern Canada to central Mexico, where it grows in wet places from freshwater to salt marsh habitat. This is a rhizomatous perennial herb producing slender, smooth stems up to about 60 centimeters tall. The flower cluster is a series of spherical clusters of flowers. Each flower has green or brown pointed segments each a few millimeters long and tapering to a point.

Juncus occidentalis is a species of rush known by the common name western rush. It is native to the western United States, where it grows in wet areas in many types of habitat. This is a bunching perennial herb with thin, stiff stems reaching maximum heights between 30 and 60 centimeters. The wispy leaves grow from the base of the stem and may approach half the stem's length. The flower cluster holds loose bundles of individual flowers and there is usually one long, leaflike leaf extending far past the flowers. Each flower has green-striped brownish to reddish petals each several millimeters long, and six stamens with small anthers. The fruit is a brown capsule which grows encased within the petals.

Juncus orthophyllus is a species of rush known by the common name straightleaf rush. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to California and Nevada, where it grows in moist spots in mountain habitat, such as meadows. This is a perennial herb producing stems up to about half a meter tall from a tough, creeping rhizome. There are several flattened leaves around the stem bases, and sometimes one or more smaller leaves on the stem. The flower cluster is an open array of several clusters of up to 10 flowers each. The flower has rough-textured green segments with brown edges and bristles at the tips.

Juncus oxymeris, common name pointed rush is a species of rush native to the West Coast of North America (British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and California). It occurs in moist areas such as lakeshores, riverbanks, and moist meadows at elevations of 100-2,000 m (330-6,560 ft). Juncus oxymeris is a perennial herb up to 60 cm (2. 0 ft) in height, spreading by underground rhizomes. Leaves are gladiolate, i. e. , flattened with one edge toward the stem, similar to those of Iris or Gladiolus. Flowers are straw-colored, with lanceolate tepals.

With its upright growth habit and distinctive flowering stems, Common Rush (Juncus patens) is a grass-like evergreen perennial that adds visual interest to the garden. Common Rush is native to wet, marshy areas of California. It is also found in Oregon and Washington.

The tall, wire-like stems are gray-green in color and grow in clumps that can slowly spread over time.
Common Rush has small golden flower clusters that bloom along the stems, rather than at the tips. After flowering, the plant develops bunches of spherical red fruits.

Common Rush is normally found in areas that are moist year-round, but it is a tough plant that can also grow in areas that are seasonally dry. In the garden, it can be planted near water features but it also does well in dry areas with minimal summer irrigation. Common Rush is often used in lawn replacement applications, where its tall, rigid stems complement low-growing groundcover plants.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Prefers sun or part shade in coastal sites, and part shade or shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Prefers sun or part shade in coastal sites, and part shade or shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Prefers sun or part shade in coastal sites, and part shade or shade in inland sites. Selected for garden.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Prefers sun or part shade in coastal sites, and part shade or shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Prefers sun or part shade in coastal sites, and part shade or shade in inland sites. North Coast, Outer North Coast Ranges, Central Coast, south Coast, n Channel Islands; Baja CA.

Brown Headed Rush (Juncus phaeocephalus var. phaeocephalus) is a native grass that grows in northern, southern and central California. It tends to grow in moist places, at elevations from 0-7200 feet.

Juncus rugulosus is a species of rush known by the common name wrinkled rush. It is endemic to California, where it is a common member of the flora in many wet areas, such as marshes and riverbanks. This is a perennial herb growing in thick tufts from a horizontal rhizome. The stem is erect and green and has a distinctive wrinkled, rippled surface. It reaches a maximum height near 70 centimeters. There are few leaves, those growing at the base lacking blades and appearing as sheaths around the stem, and those further up the stem having cylindrical blades. The flower cluster is open, with spreading branches holding many small clusters of a few flowers each. There are small, clear leafs. Each flower has reddish or brownish green petals with thin, transparent margins, and bristles at the tip. There are six stamens. The fruit is a red or brown capsule which is larger than the flower in which it grows.

Juncus saximontanus is a species of rush known by the common name Rocky Mountain rush. It is native to much of western North America from Alaska to central Mexico, where it grows in wet habitat, often in mountainous areas, such as bogs and moist meadows. This is a rhizomatous perennial herb producing a clump of stems up to about 60 centimeters tall. The inflorescence is made up of several oval or spherical heads containing up to 25 flowers each. The flower has narrow, pointed brown segments not more than about 3 millimeters long. This rush is sometimes treated as a variety of Juncus ensifolius.

Hair Leaved Rush (Juncus supiniformis) is a rare native grass that grows in Northern California, primarily in the North Coast region. It tends to grow in marshes and ponds, at elevations from 0-300 feet.

Juncus tenuis, the slender rush, is a clump-forming, round-stemmed perennial in the Juncaceae (rush family). Slender rush grows to be between 15 and 60 cm tall. Generally considered a weed, it is rarely sold by retailers as a household container plant. Where it is introduced, it is colloquially called path rush, field rush, slender yard rush, poverty rush or wiregrass. The leaves of the plant all come from the base and are not nearly as tall as the stems. The stems are partly covered by sheaths, and have the most distinctive characteristic of the plant on them: clusters or cymes at the top. These cymes consist of branches that have small egg-shaped seed capsules at the end of them. The seeds split into three parts when they become ripe. The plant also spreads via rhizomous root growth. Slender rush grows in landscapes, crops, roadsides, and all types of fields. It can grow on both wet and dry sites, in soils consisting mainly of sand or clay. Because of its high tolerance of compacted soils, it can outcompete other plant species in such places, hence the name "path rush". It is native throughout all fifty states of USA, most of Canada, and parts of northern Europe.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Prefers sun or part shade in coastal sites, and part shade or shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden.

Juncus textilis is a species of rush known by the common name basket rush. It is endemic to California, where it grows along the coast and in the coastal mountain ranges of the southern half of the state. This is a rhizomatous perennial herb growing to a maximum height between one and two meters. The stems are cylindrical with faint longitudinal grooves. The leaves lack blades and appear as small brown sheaths around the base of the stems. The long, bushy flower cluster arises from the side of the stem and splits into long branches bearing clusters of many flowers. Each flower is cupped by small, clear leaflets and has pointed greenish brown petals. There are six stamens with large anthers. The fruit is a dark brown, shiny capsule.

This species of rush has been used historically for basket weaving by several Native American peoples of southern California, such as the Cahuilla, Kumeyaay, and Chumash, among others. Juncus textilis is an important plant endemic to California; Chumash people use it today for basket-making as they have been for centuries. The rush is valued for its varied colors, from deep red to sun-dried tan; the stems may be dyed black with sea plants such as Suaeda species and yellow with Psorothamnus emoryi.

Juncus tiehmii is a species of rush known by the common name Nevada rush. It is native to the western United States, where it grows in wet habitat with granite sand substrate, including riverbanks and barren seeps. This is a small annual herb forming dense clumps of hair-thin stems no more than about 6 centimeters high. The inflorescence is made up of one to seven tiny flowers atop each stem. The flowers have a few greenish to pink or red segments no more than about 3 millimeters long.

Juncus torreyi is a species of rush known by the common name Torrey's rush. It is native to North America, where it is widespread. It can be found in many habitats across the southern half of Canada, coast to coast in the United States, and throughout northern Mexico. This is a perennial herb growing from rhizomes with associated tiny tubers. The smooth stems vary in maximum height from 30 centimeters to around a meter. The leaves are green to pink or red and up to 30 centimeters long. The flower clusters have many dense, rounded clusters of up to 100 flowers each. The flower has narrow, pointed greenish, tan, or reddish petals and six stamens. The fruit is a pointed brown capsule.

Juncus triformis is an uncommon species of rush known by the common names Yosemite dwarf rush and long-styled dwarf rush. It is endemic to California, where it grows in wet granite rock habitat covered in thin soil layers, such as vernal pools and seeps. It is known from the Sierra Nevada, Central Valley, and some locations in southern California. This is a small annual herb forming dense clumps of hair-thin red stems up to about 16 centimeters high. The flower cluster is made up of one to eight tiny flowers atop each stem. The flowers have a few greenish to bright red segments no more than 4 or 5 millimeters long.

Juncus uncialis is a species of rush known by the common names twelfth rush and inch-high rush. It is native to the western United States, where it is known from wet habitat such as vernal pools. This is a petite annual herb forming dense clumps of hair-thin green stems no more than 3 or 4 centimeters high. The inflorescence is made up of a single tiny flower atop each stem. The flower has several reddish segments about 2 to 5 millimeters long wrapped around the developing fruit.

Juncus xiphioides is a species of rush known by the common name irisleaf rush. It is native to the southwestern United States and Baja California where it grows in wet areas in many habitat types. This is a rhizomatous perennial herb producing erect stems to a maximum height between about 40 and 80 centimeters. It has wide leaf blades for a rush, often exceeding one centimeter in width at the base. The few straw-colored leaves reach up to 40 centimeters in length. The large flower cluster has many clusters of up to 70 flowers each. The flower has very narrow green, red, or yellow-brown, lance-shaped petals and six stamens with very small anthers. The fruit is a brown oblong capsule.

Spirodela punctata (or Landoltia punctata, common name dotted duckmeat) is a species of duckweed (Lemnaceae). The species is morphologically intermediate between Lemna and other species of Spirodela. In 1999 D. H. Les and D. J. Crawford proposed segregating the species to a new genus Landoltia containing just the species L. punctata, on the basis of biochemical and DNA studies. S. punctata originally was found in Australia and South Asia, but today it can also be found in the Southern and Eastern United States.

Lasthenia chrysantha is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family known by the common name alkalisink goldfields. It is endemic to the California Central Valley, where it grows in vernal pools and alkali flats. Lasthenia chrysantha is an annual herb approaching a maximum height near 28 centimeters. The stem may be branched or not and it bears mostly hairless, linear leaves up to 7 or 8 centimeters long. Lasthenia chrysantha is an annual herb approaching a maximum height near 28 centimeters. The stem may be branched or not and it bears mostly hairless, linear leaves up to 7 or 8 centimeters long. Atop the hairy to hairless stems are inflorescences of flower heads with hairless phyllaries. The head contains many yellow disc florets with a fringe of small yellow ray florets. The fruit is a black oval-shaped achene a few millimeters long with a fringe of tiny dull hairs around the edge. Like other goldfields, populations of this species bloom in the spring to produce a carpet of yellow in its habitat.

Lasthenia fremontii is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family known by the common name Frémont's goldfields (after John C. Frémont). It is endemic to the California Central Valley, where it grows in vernal pools and meadows. Lasthenia fremontii is an annual herb approaching a maximum height near 35 centimeters. The hairy stem may be branched or not and it bears linear or few-lobed leaves up to about 6 centimeters long. Lasthenia fremontii is an annual herb approaching a maximum height near 35 centimeters. The hairy stem may be branched or not and it bears linear or few-lobed leaves up to about 6 centimeters long. Atop the stems are inflorescences of flower heads with hairy phyllaries. The head contains many tufted yellow disc florets with a fringe of small yellow or occasionally white ray florets. The fruit is a hairy club-shaped achene less than 2 millimeters long.

Lasthenia glaberrima is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family known by the common names smooth goldfields and rayless goldfields. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to California, where it grows in wet places such as vernal pools and springtime meadows. Lasthenia glaberrima is an annual herb producing a mostly erect, hairless stem to maximum heights near 35 centimeters. The stem may branch or not, and it bears hairless linear leaves up to about 10 centimeters long. Lasthenia glaberrima is an annual herb producing a mostly erect, hairless stem to maximum heights near 35 centimeters. The stem may branch or not, and it bears hairless linear leaves up to about 10 centimeters long. Atop the stem is an inflorescence of flower heads with fused, pointed phyllaries. The head contains many yellowish or greenish disc florets. There are also yellow ray florets, but they are so short they may be nearly invisible inside the involucre of phyllaries. The fruit is a hairy achene a few millimeters long which is linear in shape with a pappus of scales.

Lasthenia glabrata is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family known by the common name yellowray goldfields. It is endemic to California, where it is a resident of vernal pools and other moist areas in a number of habitat types. This is a daisylike annual herb growing up to about half a meter in maximum height. The thin stem has a few pairs of oppositely-arranged, smooth-edged linear leaves each up to 15 centimeters long. The plant flowers in solitary or loosely clustered flower heads with golden yellow disc and ray florets. The fruit is an achene a few millimeters long with no pappus.