Washington Native Plant Society: Starflower Image Herbarium

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Native Grasses, Sedges, Rushes

List also includes other grass-like plants.

	*Carex amplifolia* Bigleaf Sedge Leaves deciduous.
	*Carex canescens* Grey Sedge Leaves deciduous.
	*Carex cusickii* Cusick's Sedge A woodland sedge with grass-like leaves and small clusters of tiny greenish flowers. Leaves are generally shorter than flowering stems; size: 3-5 mm. Leaves deciduous.
	*Carex obnupta* Slough Sedge Large grass-like plant creating thick patches in coastal wetlands. Height: 1-5 feet (30-150 cm). Leaves are coarse, firm and shorter than stems. Shape: flat to channelled, with margins rolled under; size: 3-10 mm wide; color: green. Leaves deciduous.
	*Carex pachystachya* Thick-head Sedge Leaves evergreen.
	*Carex stipata* Sawbeak Sedge Leaves deciduous.
	*Carex vulpinoidea* Fox Sedge Leaves deciduous.
	*Deschampsia cespitosa* Tufted Hairgrass Densely tufted perennial grass. Height: Up to 4 feet (120 cm) tall. Flat to folded, narrow, rather stiff; no auricles; prominent ligules, pointed, 3-8 mm long; size: 2-4 mm wide by 8-20 cm (3-8 in) long; color: green. Leaves deciduous.
	*Eleocharis palustris* Creeping Spikerush A wetland plant with leafless, grass-like stems topped by small brownish spikes of flowers. Height: Up to 3 feet (100 cm). All basal leaves and reduced to mere sheaths without any leaf blades; sheaths are small, thin, dark reddish, and tightly girdle the bases of the stems. Leaves deciduous.
	*Elymus glaucus* Blue Wild-rye Tufted perennial grass usually forming small clumps, 0.5 to 1.5 m tall. Height: 20-40 inches (0.5-1 meter). Blades are hairless to densely hairy, flat or slightly inrolled, usually lax; auricles well developed, claw-like and clasping; ligules short (1mm long); size: to 0.75" (12mm) wide; color: green. Leaves deciduous.
	*Eriophorum chamissonis* Chamisso's Cotton-grass Extensive beds growing from spreading rhizomes or stolons with tufts of cotton-like seed heads. Height: 8-28 inches (20-70 cm). Dark-brown sheaths at base; blades grass like, narrow, channeled throughout; size: .5-2 mm wide. Leaves deciduous.
	*Festuca rubra* Red Fescue Perennial grass with thread-like leaves forming small patches. Height: Can grow up to 4 feet (1.2 meters) tall. Super slender leaves less than 1/8 inch wide, practically thread like, folded-inrolled, hairless, no auricles; ligules short, less than 0.5 mm long; color: bluish-green. Leaves evergreen.
	*Glyceria elata* Tall Mannagrass, Fowl Mannagrass Tall wetland grass. Height: Up to 5 feet (1.5 meters). Flat, lax, 6-12 mm wide, green-yellow; no auricles; ligules 3-6 mm long, short-hairy. Leaves deciduous.
	*Glyceria grandis* Reed Mannagrass very similar to G. elata Height: up to 5 feet (1.5 meters) flat, bright green when young, 6-18 mm broad, 2 ranked, with brown patch at leaf node; shape: lance; size: 6-18 mm wide; color: bright green. Leaves evergreen.
	*Hordeum brachyantherum* Meadow Barley Grass with erect stems that are bent at the base and sometimes hairy on the leaf sheaths. Height: Up to 3 feet (90 cm). Flat, 3-8 mm wide, hairless to spreading hairy; no auricles; ligules short, about 0.5 mm long, minutely frilly at tip; color: green. Leaves deciduous.
	*Juncus acuminatus* Tapertip Rush Tufted perennial grass-like plant. Height: Up to 32 inches (80 cm). Half rounded, hollow, prominently joined by crosswalls; auricles prominent on leaf sheaths; shape: linear; color: green. Leaves deciduous.
	*Juncus ensifolius* Daggerleaf Rush Height: Can grow up to 2 feet (60 cm) tall. Leaves are laterally flattened like iris leaves, 2-6 mm wide, 3-4 per stem. Leaves deciduous.
	*Juncus tenuis* Slender Rush Leaves deciduous.
	*Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani* Softstem Bulrush Leaves deciduous.
	*Scirpus maritimus* Seacoast Bulrush Leaves deciduous.
	*Scirpus microcarpus* Small-flowered Bulrush Leaves deciduous.
	*Sparganium angustifolium* Narrowleaf Bur-reed Leaves deciduous.
	*Sparganium eurycarpum* Broadfruit Bur-reed Leaves deciduous.

The landscaping and restoration information provided on this page is taken from Starflower Foundation Image Herbarium. All photographs © Starflower Foundation unless otherwise noted.