Parry's Rush

Herbs, perennial, strongly tufted, 0.5--3 dm. Rhizomes densely short-branched. Culms terete. Cataphylls several. Leaves: auricles 0.2--0.3 mm, apex acute to rounded, scarious. Inflorescences 1--3-flowered, open; primary bract terete, 2--4 cm, usually longer than inflorescence. Flowers pedicellate; bracteoles broadly ovate; tepals light brown with green midstripe, lanceolate, 5.5--9 mm, margins scarious; inner series loosely subtending capsule at maturity, shorter; stamens 6, filaments 0.7--1 mm, anthers 1.1--1.6 mm; style 0.2 mm. Capsules tan, 3-locular, narrowly oblong, 6--9 x 1.5--2 mm, usually exceeding perianth. Seeds amber, body 0.6 mm, tails 0.4 mm.

Alta., B.C.; Calif., Colo., Idaho, Mont., Nev., Oreg.,., Utah, Wash., Wyo.

Flowering and fruiting summer.

Exposed rocky slopes and stream banks in montane and alpine areas, conifer forests; 1500--4000m.

Juncus drummondii E. Meyer var. parryi (Engelmann) M. E. Jones

Juncus parryi is a species of rush known by the common name Parry's rush. It is native to western North America from British Columbia and Alberta to California to Colorado, where it grows in moist and dry spots in mountain habitat, including rocky talus and other areas in the subalpine and alpine climate. This is a rhizomatous perennial herb producing a dense clump of stems up to about 30 centimeters tall. There are short, thready leaves around the stem bases. The inflorescence is a cluster of flowers accompanied by a long, cylindrical bract which appears like an extension of the stem. The flower is made up of a few pointed, brown segments with membranous edges.