Juncus acutus

Spiny rush, sharp rush or sharp-pointed rush is of the monocot family Juncaceae and genus Juncus. It grows in salt marshes and on dunes and is reliable for reducing erosion rates. The stems which emerge from a central cluster have sharp terminal spines. It has been introduced in some countries like Australia where it is considered to be an invasive weed and the spines harmful to young children. In California it is found primarily along the central and southern coast. It is a brown and green “tussocky” perennial that can be to 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) tall in all kinds of soils- in areas which go from extremes in flood and dry like dunes or that just stay wet like lowland grassland and grassy woodland, riparian vegetation, freshwater wetland, and saline and sub-saline wetlands. There is one recognized variety, var. leopoldii, which is rare and included on CNPS List 4.2. This plant is not often used in home gardens because of its terminal spines and its habitat requirements. It is one of several species of Juncus used by native people of California for basket weaving.