Summary ⁶

Juncus saximontanus, often referred to as Rocky Mountain rush, is native to western North America and is often mistaken for grass. It grows well in wet and mountainous environments and has hollow round ends with greenish-brown flowers.

Botanical Information ⁷

Juncus saximontanus is a type of rush more commonly known as Rocky Mountain rush, or simply mountain rush. The grass-like part of this plant has hollow round ends and the flowers are a greenish brown. Mountain rush is often mistaken for grass. The leaf grows 2-15cm long. Leaves and stems grow 15-25 cm long, which allows it to collect more energy for root production. The seeds are a brownish red and approximately 0.6-0.8mm.

Ecological Information ⁸

Rocky Mountain rush is native to western North America. The mountain rush plant prefers wet habitats such as near wetlands and can live in shallow waters like rivers or streams. It is eaten by wildlife, including quails, porcupines, muskrats, cottontails, gofers, and jackrabbits.

Ethnobotanical Information ⁸

The stems of the Rocky Mountain rush have been used to weave baskets and blankets, as well as chairs, basketwork and mats. They are sometimes used to scent candles and oil lamps. It can be used for dye that normally comes out green, yellow, or brown. The plant can be used in constructing and restoring wetland ecosystems.

References ⁸

Encyclopaedia Britannica, inc. (n.d). Rush. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved April 18, 2019, from https://www.britannica.com/plant/rush-plant

United States Department of Agriculture. (2014). Juncus arcticus. In
PLANTS Database. Retrieved October 20, 2021, https://plants.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=JUARL

About the Author ⁸

Student author*: David (age 11) and Daxton (age 13) from Albuquerque Sign Language Academy

*The entries in this field guide have been edited by Yerba Mansa Project staff to ensure that they contain quality, fact-checked content and standardized formatting. https://yerbamansaproject.org/

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Steve Jones, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Steve Jones
2. (c) Andrey Zharkikh, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://www.flickr.com/photos/zharkikh/30036221378/
3. (c) Andrew Simon, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Andrew Simon
4. (c) Andrey Zharkikh, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://www.flickr.com/photos/zharkikh/7588456434/
5. (c) Andrey Zharkikh, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://www.flickr.com/photos/zharkikh/14809625658/
6. Adapted by caseynm from a work by (c) smiller33, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
7. Adapted by albuquerqueherbalism from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juncus_saximontanus
8. Adapted by albuquerqueherbalism from a work by (c) smiller33, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• Calflora
• CalPhotos
• eFloras.org
• Flora of North America (beta)
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
• IPNI (with links to POWO, WFO, and BHL)
• Jepson eFlora
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• SEINet Symbiota portals
• Tropicos
• USDA PLANTS database
• VASCAN by Canadensys
• World Flora Online

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