Bolander's Rush

Herbs, perennial, not cespitose, rhizomatous, 2.5--8.5 dm. Rhizomes 2--3 mm, tuberous. Culms erect, terete, 1--3 mm diam., smooth. Cataphylls 1--2, straw-colored, apex acute. Leaves: basal 0--1, cauline 2--3, auricles 2--3 mm, apex acute, membranaceous; blade green to straw-colored, terete, 7--28 cm x 1--2 mm. Inflorescences terminal racemes of 1--8 heads or single head, 1--13 cm, branches ascending to spreading; primary bract erect; heads 40--70-flowered, spheric, 7--11 mm diam. Flowers: tepals dark reddish brown to light brown, lance-subulate, (2.6--)3--3.5(--4) mm, apex acuminate; stamens 3, anthers 1/4 filament length. Capsules equaling perianth or slightly included, chestnut brown, 1-locular, ellipsoid to oblong, 3--3.5 mm, apex acuminate, valves separating at dehiscence, fertile throughout or only proximal to middle. Seeds oblong, 0.4--0.5 mm, not tailed; body clear yellow-brown.

Fruiting late spring--summer. Swamps, marshes, stream banks, beaches, roadside meadows, and other moist or wet areas; 0--1000 m.; B.C.; Calif., Idaho, Oreg., Wash.; nw Mexico.

Juncus bolanderi var. riparius Jepson

Juncus bolanderi is a species of rush known by the common name Bolander's rush. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to northern California, where it grows in many types of wet habitat, such as marshes, beaches, and meadows. It is a rhizomatous perennial herb forming bunches of smooth stems up to about 80 centimeters long. The inflorescence is made up of one or more clusters of many tiny flowers accompanied by one long bract. Each flower has brown, pointed segments each about 3 millimeters long.