Ruppia cirrhosa is a species of aquatic plant known by the common names spiral ditchgrass and spiral tasselweed. It is native to the Americas and Europe, where it grows in freshwater bodies, such as lakes. It is a thread-thin, grasslike perennial herb which grows from a rhizome anchored in the wet substrate. It produces a long, narrow inflorescence tipped with two tiny flowers. As the fruit develops the peduncle of the inflorescence curls into a neat spiral.

Ruppia maritima is a species of aquatic plant known by the common names beaked tasselweed, widgeongrass, ditch-grass and tassel pondweed. Despite its Latin name, it is not a marine plant; is perhaps best described as a salt-tolerant freshwater species. The generic name Ruppia was dedicated by Linnaeus to the German botanist Heinrich Bernhard Ruppius (1689-1719) and the specific name (maritima) translates to "of the sea". It can be found throughout the world, most often in coastal areas, where it grows in brackish water bodies, such as marshes. It is a dominant plant in a great many shoreline regions. It does not grow well in turbid water or low-oxygen substrates.

Sagina decumbens is a species of flowering plant in the pink family known by the common names trailing pearlwort and western pearlwort. It is native to several areas of North America, where it can be found in many types of habitat. It is a small annual herb producing a threadlike green or purplish stem growing erect or trailing, measuring up to about 16 centimeters long. The leaves are hairless, linear in shape, and one half to two centimeters long. The inflorescence is a solitary flower borne on a threadlike pedicel. The flower has usually five sepals and five tiny white petals. There are two subspecies which differ mainly in the microscopic appearance of the seeds.

Sagina maxima is a species of flowering plant in the pink family known by the common names stickystem pearlwort and thick-stemmed pearlwort. It is native to the west coast of North America from Alaska to California, where it can be found in many types of sandy and rocky coastal habitat. It is a small, fleshy perennial herb growing in a clump of linear leaves and thick stems. The fleshy, pointed leaves are 1 or 2 centimeters long. The inflorescence is a solitary flower with five sepals and five small white petals. There are two subspecies which differ mainly in the arrangement of hairs on the stem.

Sagittaria cuneata is a species of flowering plant in the water plantain family known by the common name arumleaf arrowhead or duck potato. Like some other Sagittaria species, it may be called wapato. It is native to much of North America, including most of Canada (every province and territory except Nunavut) as well as the western and northeastern United States (New England, Great Lakes, Great Plains, Rocky Mountain, Great Basin and Pacific Coast states; including Alaska but not Hawaii). Sagittaria cuneata is an aquatic plant, growing in slow-moving and stagnant water bodies such as ponds and small streams. It is quite variable in appearance, and submerged parts of the plant look different from those growing above the surface or on land. In general it is a perennial herb growing from a white or blue-tinged tuber. The leaves are variable in shape, many of them sagittate (arrow-shaped) with two smaller, pointed lobes opposite the tip. The leaf blades are borne on very long petioles. The plant is monoecious, with individuals bearing both male and female flowers. The inflorescence which rises above the surface of the water is a raceme made up of several whorls of flowers, the lowest node bearing female flowers and upper nodes bearing male flowers. The flower is up to 2. 5 centimeters wide with white petals. The male flowers have rings of yellow stamens at the centers. Each female flower has a spherical cluster of pistils which develops into a group of tiny fruits.

Sagittaria latifolia is a plant found in shallow wetlands and is sometimes known as broadleaf arrowhead, duck potato, Indian potato, or wapato. This plant produces edible tubers that were extensively used by the Indigenous peoples of the Americas. Broadleaf arrowhead is a variable-sized (0.2 to 1 meter) perennial growing in colonies that can cover large amounts of ground. The roots are white and thin, producing white tubers covered with a purplish skin a good distance (0.3 to 1 meter long, 0.15 to 0.6 meter deep) from the mother plant.

Sagittaria longiloba is a species of flowering plant in the water plantain family known by the common name longbarb arrowhead and Gregg arrowhead. It is native to the south-central and southwestern United States (Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Arizona and California) plus Mexico, Venezuela and Nicaragua. It is also reportedly naturalized in the western Himalayas of India and Bhutan. It grows in slow-moving, stagnant, and ephemeral water bodies such as ponds and small streams, and sometimes disturbed and cultivated habitat such as rice fields and irrigation ditches. Sagittaria longiloba is a perennial aquatic plant growing from a spherical tuber. The leaves are sagittate, or shaped like arrowheads with two longer, narrower, pointed lobes opposite the shorter tip. The leaf blades are borne on very long petioles. The plant is monoecious, with individuals bearing both male and female flowers. The inflorescence which rises above the surface of the water is a raceme made up of several whorls of flowers, the lowest node bearing female flowers and upper nodes bearing male flowers. The flower is up to 3 centimeters wide with three white petals. The male flowers have rings of stamens at the centers. Female flowers each have a spherical cluster of pistils which develops into a head of tiny fruits.

Salicornia bigelovii is a species of flowering plant in the amaranth family known by the common names dwarf saltwort and dwarf glasswort. It is native to coastal areas of the eastern and southern United States, as well as southern California, Belize, and coastal Mexico (both the east and west coasts). It is a plant of salt marshes, a halophyte which grows in saltwater. It is an annual herb producing an erect, branching stem which is jointed at many internodes. The fleshy, green to red stem can reach about 60 cm in height. The leaves are usually small plates, pairs of which are fused into a band around the stem. The inflorescence is a dense, sticklike spike of flowers. Each flower is made up of a fused pocket of sepals enclosing the stamens and stigmas, with no petals. The fruit is an utricle containing tiny, fuzzy seeds. The southern part of the species range is represented by the Petenes mangroves of the Yucatân, where it is a subdominant plant associate in the mangroves. This plant is gaining scientific attention for its potential to serve as an oil crop that can be grown in desert environments and maintained with water containing high levels of salts. It is the source of salicornia oil. The plant is up to 33% oil. The oil contains up to 79% linoleic acid and is functionally similar to safflower oil. It can be used as a cooking oil and a replacement for more valuable oils in chicken feed. Domestic animals can be fed the plant as a forage. The plant could also be a source of biofuel.

Virginia Glasswort (Salicornia depressa) is a native perennial herb that grows in northern, southern and central California. It tends to grow in marshes and wet places, at elevations from 0-300 feet.

Pickleweed (Salicornia virginica) is a native perennial herb that grows in northern, southern and central California. It tends to grow in salt marshes and alkali flats, at elevations from 0-300 feet.

Salix bebbiana is a species of willow indigenous to Canada and the northern United States, from Alaska and Yukon south to California and Arizona and northeast to Newfoundland and New England. Common names include beaked willow, long-beaked willow, gray willow, and Bebb's willow. This plant is typically a large, fast-growing, multiple-stemmed shrub or small, shrubby tree capable of forming dense, colonial thickets. It can be found in loose, saturated soils such as that on riverbanks, lakesides, swamps, marshes, and bogs. It is capable of tolerating heavy clay and rocky soils, making it highly adaptable and durable. It is a dominant species in many marshland areas in its native range.

Salix brachycarpa is a species of flowering plant in the willow family known by the common names barren-ground willow, small-fruit willow and shortfruit willow. It is native to North America, where it occurs throughout Alaska except for the Aleutian Islands and southeastern coastal region, in western and northern Canada, and in the contiguous United States in the Rocky Mountains south to Colorado. A shrub growing up to 1. 5 meters tall, S. brachycarpa is low in stature or sometimes prostrate. The stems are sometimes hairy and the smaller branchlets may be quite woolly. The leaves are also usually hairy, with woolly undersides. The species is dioecious, with male and female reproductive parts occurring on separate plants. The inflorescence is a catkin up to 5 centimeters long. The plant produces tiny, downy seeds which are viable for just a few days but may germinate within 12 hours of hitting a suitable substrate.

Salix breweri is a species of willow known by the common name Brewer's willow. It is endemic to California, where it can be found in the serpentine soils of the Coast Ranges in and around the San Francisco Bay Area. It is a riparian shrub growing one to four meters in height. The yellowish or reddish brown stems are lightly hairy in texture, the small twigs coated in velvety fibers. The leaves are generally lance-shaped, smooth-edged or gently toothed, and partially rolled under along the edges. The leaves are hairy, with the lower surfaces often quite woolly. Mature leaves may be 14 centimeters long or more. The inflorescence is a catkin which develops before the plant produces leaves. The catkins are up to 5 or 6 centimeters long, the female ones lengthening further as the fruits develop.

Salix delnortensis is a species of willow known by the common name Del Norte willow. It is native to the Klamath Mountains of southern Oregon and northern California, where it grows in serpentine soils in riparian habitat. It is a shrub growing one or two meters tall. It forms thickets, sometimes quite large, some of which are made up of clones of one individual. The shrub has many branches, which are very brittle. The young twigs are velvety or woolly with hairy coats; older branches are hairless. The leaves are oval, sometimes with pointed tips, smooth-edged, and woolly on the undersides. They grow to 10 centimeters long or more. The inflorescences are produced before the leaves. Each is a catkin of flowers. Male catkins are about 3 centimeters long and thick, while female catkins vary in size.

Drummond's Willow (Salix drummondiana) is a native shrub that grows in Central and Northern California, primarily in the High Sierra Nevada region. It is fast growing and long-lived. It grows in an upright form to a height of 12 feet, with active growth during the spring and summer. Flowers are yellow and bloom in the early spring. Leaves are medium green and deciduous. It tends to grow in streamsides, at elevations from 8400-9500 feet.

Salix eastwoodiae is a species of willow known by the common names mountain willow, Eastwood's willow, 'and Sierra willow. It is native to the northwestern United States, where it grows in subalpine and alpine climates in mountain habitats such as talus and streambanks. It is a shrub growing up to 4 m (13 ft) tall, with branches yellowish, brown, red, or purplish in color and coated in short hairs, sometimes becoming hairless. The leaves are narrowly or widely lance-shaped and up to 10 cm long, hairy when new and becoming hairless. The inflorescence is a catkin of flowers. It is a shrub growing up to 4 m (13 ft) tall, with branches yellowish, brown, red, or purplish in color and coated in short hairs, sometimes becoming hairless. The leaves are narrowly or widely lance-shaped and up to 10 cm long, hairy when new and becoming hairless. The inflorescence is a catkin of flowers.

Salix exigua (Sandbar Willow) is a deciduous shrub reaching 13 to 23 feet in height. The leaves are narrow, green, to grayish with silky white hairs when young. The flowers emerge as yellow or white catkins in late spring, after the leaves appear. The fruit is a cluster of capsules, each containing numerous minute seeds embedded in shiny white silk.

Like most willows, Sandbar Willow it is moisture-loving. It will tolerate a variety of soils and poor drainage. It grows in full sun and spreads by shoots to form dense colonies so it will eventually spread to occupy any wet soil that it can reach. Use with other wetland trees, shrubs and grasses.

It is host to a wide variety of pollinators, including butterflies, moths, and some gall-forming wasps. Some birds, such as the Least Bell's Vireo and Southwestern Willow Flycatcher, prefer to nest in large, dense willow thickets.

Salix exigua var. exigua is a native tree or shrub that grows in northern California.

Sandbar Willow (Salix hindsiana) is a native tree or shrub that grows in northern, southern and central California. It tends to grow at elevations from 0-5500 feet.

Geyer's Willow (Salix geyeriana) is a native shrub that grows in northern, southern and central California. It is fast growing and moderately long-lived. It grows in an upright form to a height of 15 feet, with active growth during the spring and summer. Flowers are yellow and striking, and bloom in the spring. Leaves are medium green and deciduous. It tends to grow in streams and meadows, at elevations from 5000-10500 feet.

Goodding's Black Willow (Salix gooddingii) is a common native tree that grows throughout the state in wetland areas. It has a moderate growth rate and is moderately long-lived. It grows in an upright form to a height of 15-40 feet, with active growth during the spring and summer. Flowers are green and bloom in the early spring. Leaves are medium green and deciduous. It tends to grow in streamsides, at elevations from sea level to 2,000 feet. It performs in a wide variety of locations, from the south coast to the central valley and perennial streams in desert areas. It tolerates some alkalinity and salinity as well as generally poor water quality. Due to its size and water requirements, this is not a common garden tree but is useful in restoration projects, bioswales, and other constructed wetlands. Like other willows it is an important wildlife plant.

Salix hookeriana is a species of willow known by the common names dune willow, coastal willow, and Hooker's willow. The plant is native to the west coast of North America from Alaska to northern California, where it grows in coastal habitat such as beaches, marshes, floodplains, and canyons. S. hookeriana is a shrub or tree growing up to 8 m (26 ft) tall, sometimes forming bushy colonial thickets. The leaves are up to 11 cm long, generally oval in shape, wavy along the edges, and hairy to woolly in texture with shiny upper surfaces. The inflorescence is a catkin of flowers up to 9 cm long, with the female catkins growing longer as the fruits develop. This willow may hybridize with similar species. The Latin specific epithet hookeriana refers to Sir Joseph D. Hooker. The plant is native to the west coast of North America from Alaska to northern California, where it grows in coastal habitat such as beaches, marshes, floodplains, and canyons.

Salix jepsonii is a species of willow known by the common name Jepson's willow. It is native to southernmost slopes of the Cascade Range and the Sierra Nevada in California, where its distribution extends just into western Nevada. It grows along rivers and streams in high mountain habitat. It is a shrub growing 1 to 3 meters tall, sometimes forming colonial thickets. The lance-shaped leaves may grow over 10 centimeters long. They are hairy when new, and have silky hairs on the undersides when mature. The inflorescence is a catkin of flowers, male catkins short and stout, measuring no more than 2 centimeters long, and female catkins reaching up to 6 centimeters in length. It is a shrub growing 1 to 3 meters tall, sometimes forming colonial thickets. The lance-shaped leaves may grow over 10 centimeters long. They are hairy when new, and have silky hairs on the undersides when mature. The inflorescence is a catkin of flowers, male catkins short and stout, measuring no more than 2 centimeters long, and female catkins reaching up to 6 centimeters in length.

Salix lasiandra is a native willow tree that grows in virtually every county of the state in wetland-riparian areas. It is a suckering willow that will extend its roots and spread into any area that has sufficient moisture. It was formerly classified as a subspecies of Salix lucida, and some sources may still refer to it by that name. There are two recognized Varieties: Var. lasiandra is widespread. Var. caudata (Shining Willow) is less common and restricted to the Sierras and northward. Like all willows, this species prefers alluvial soils with plenty of water. It is not often seen in residential gardens but is useful in restoration projects, bioswales, and other consistently wet areas.

Yellow Willow (Salix lucida ssp. lasiandra) is a native tree that grows in northern, southern and central California. It is fast growing and short-lived. It grows in an upright form to a height of 53 feet, with active growth during the spring and summer. Flowers are green and bloom in the spring. Leaves are medium green and deciduous. It tends to grow in wet places, at elevations from 0-8000 feet.

Arroyo Willow (Salix lasiolepis) is an abundant and widespread native small tree or shrub that grows in northern, southern and central California. Arroyo Willow likes water and in the garden must have constantly moist soil. It is a fast-growing small tree, reaching 15 to 30 feet high and 5 to 10 feet wide. The leaves are long and thin. Being deciduous, Arroyo Willow is leafless part of the year. The flower is a yellowish catkin that becomes a fluffy white mass of seeds.

Willows (Salix spp.) are very important wildlife plants, used by birds, insects, amphibians and mammals. Numerous insects, especially wasps, lay their eggs on willow leaves, forming galls. These galls are usually not harmful to the plant and should not be viewed as pests.

Arroyo Willow grows in full sun in a variety of soils, as long as it has adequate drainage. It is recommended as erosion control near streams. Spreading by root runners it can be invasive in moist areas. Gardeners with a bog or pond use it with other wetland plants such as Maple, Spicebush, Dogwood, Currant, and California Wildrose. It can be pruned or sheared in winter to form a hedge.

Lemmon's Willow (Salix lemmonii) is a native shrub that grows in northern, southern and central California. It is fast growing and long-lived. It grows in an upright form to a height of 14 feet, with active growth during the spring and summer. Flowers are yellow and bloom in the early spring. Leaves are medium green and deciduous. It tends to grow in streams, at elevations from 5000-10000 feet.

Salix ligulifolia is a species of willow known by the common name strapleaf willow. It is native to the western United States. It grows in moist and wet habitat, such as riverbanks, swamps, and floodplains, such as in the Sierra Nevada in California. Salix ligulifolia is a shrub growing up to 8 meters tall. The lance-shaped leaves may grow over 13 centimeters long. They are finely serrated along the edges, with some leaves appearing almost smooth-edged or studded with glands. The inflorescence is a hairy catkin of flowers, male catkins short and stout, measuring up to 3 or 4 centimeters long, and female catkins often a bit longer. Salix ligulifolia is a shrub growing up to 8 meters tall. The lance-shaped leaves may grow over 13 centimeters long. They are finely serrated along the edges, with some leaves appearing almost smooth-edged or studded with glands. The inflorescence is a hairy catkin of flowers, male catkins short and stout, measuring up to 3 or 4 centimeters long, and female catkins often a bit longer.

Yellow Willow (Salix lutea) is a native shrub that grows in northern, southern and central California. It is fast growing and moderately long-lived. It grows in an upright form to a height of 16 feet, with active growth during the spring and summer. Flowers are yellow and bloom in the spring. Leaves are light-green and deciduous. This plant tends to grow in stream edges and wet meadows, at elevations from 5000-9500 feet.

Salix melanopsis is a plant species known by the common name dusky willow. It is native to western North America from British Columbia and Alberta to California and Colorado, where it grows in many types of moist and wet habitat, such as riverbanks and subalpine mountain meadows, on rocky and silty substrates. Salix melanopsis is a shrub up to 4 meters tall, sometimes sprouting abundantly from its stem to form colonial thickets of clones. The pointed, oval, lance-shaped, or linear leaves may grow over 13 centimeters long and have smooth or spine-toothed edges. The inflorescence is a catkin of flowers up to 5 or 6 centimeters long. Salix melanopsis is a shrub up to 4 meters tall, sometimes sprouting abundantly from its stem to form colonial thickets of clones. The pointed, oval, lance-shaped, or linear leaves may grow over 13 centimeters long and have smooth or spine-toothed edges. The inflorescence is a catkin of flowers up to 5 or 6 centimeters long.

Sierra Willow (Salix orestera) is a native shrub that grows in Central and Northern California, primarily in the White and Inyo Mountains, the High Sierra Nevada and Sierra Nevada East regions. It is fast growing and moderately long-lived. It grows in an upright form to a height of 10 feet, with active growth during the spring and summer. Flowers are yellow and bloom in the mid spring. Leaves are medium green and deciduous. It tends to grow in meadows and wet places, at elevations from 7400-12000 feet.

Salix arctica (Arctic Willow) is a tiny creeping willow (family Salicaceae). It is adapted to survive in harsh Arctic and subarctic environments, and has a circumpolar distribution round the Arctic Ocean. It grows in tundra and rocky moorland, and is the northernmost woody plant in the world, occurring far above the tree line up to the northern limit of land on the north coast of Greenland. It also occurs further south in North America on high altitude Alpine tundra south to the Sierra Nevada in California and the Rocky Mountains in New Mexico, and in Asia to Xinjiang in China. It is typically a low shrub growing to only 1-15 centimeter (0.39-5.9 inches) in height (rarely to 25 centimeter (9.8 inches) high), however in the Pacific Northwest it may reach 50 centimeter (20 inches) in height, and has round, shiny green leaves 1-4 centimeter (0.39-1.6 inches) long and broad, rarely up to 8 centimeters (3.1 inches) long and 6 centimeter (2.4 inches) broad; they are hairy, with long silky, silvery hairs. Like the rest of the willows, Arctic Willow is dioecious, with male and female catkins on separate plants. As a result the plant's appearance varies; the female catkins are red-coloured, while the male catkins are yellow-coloured.

Salix planifolia is a species of willow known by the common names planeleaf willow, diamondleaf willow, and tea-leafed willow. It is native to northern and western North America, including most of Canada and the western United States. It grows in many types of arctic and alpine habitats in the north, and mountainous areas in the southern part of its range. Salix planifolia is a shrub varying in size from low and bushy, to long thickets, to a treelike form 9 m (30 ft) in height. The leaves are generally oval in shape with pointed tips, measuring up to 6. 5 cm long. They are smooth-edged or serrated, glossy on the upper surface, and sometimes with silky hairs. The inflorescence is a catkin of flowers a few centimeters long. Salix planifolia is a shrub varying in size from low and bushy, to long thickets, to a treelike form 9 m (30 ft) in height. The leaves are generally oval in shape with pointed tips, measuring up to 6. 5 cm long. They are smooth-edged or serrated, glossy on the upper surface, and sometimes with silky hairs. The inflorescence is a catkin of flowers a few centimeters long. Salix pulchra, also commonly called diamondleaf or tealeaf willow and sometimes treated as a subspecies of S. planifolia (S. planifolia ssp. pulchra), is now treated as a distinct species.

Mackenzie's Willow (Salix prolixa) is a native tree or shrub that grows in Central and Northern California, primarily in the Klamath Mountain Range, the High Cascade Range and High Sierra Nevada regions. It is moderately fast growing and short-lived. It grows in a semi-upright form to a height of 45 feet, with active growth during the spring and summer. Flowers are white and striking, and bloom in the early spring. Leaves are medium green and deciduous. It tends to grow in streams, at elevations from 0-7000 feet.

Salix scouleriana, or Scouler's Willow, is a species of willow native to western North America. Other names occasionally used include fire willow, Nuttall willow, mountain willow, and black willow. It is a deciduous shrub or small tree, depending on the environment, usually with multiple stems that reach 2 to 7 meter in height in dry, cold, high elevation, and other difficult environments, and 10 to 20 meter in favorable sites. The stems are straight and support few branches generally resulting in narrow crowns. The root system is fibrous, deep, and widespread. The thick sapwood is nearly white, and heartwood is light brown tinged with red. Stem bark is thin, gray or dark brown with broad, flat ridges. Twigs are stout and whitish green. The leaves are oblance-shaped to elliptic, 5-12.5 centimeter long, mostly short-pointed at the tip and tapered toward the base with entire to sparsely wavy-toothed margins. They are dark-green and nearly hairless above, and white- or grayish-hairy below. It is dioecious, having male and female flowers on different trees. The flowers are tiny, grouped in pussy willow-like catkins. The anthers, two per flower, are yellow, sometimes tipped with red; pistols are red. The fruit is light reddish-brown, long-pointed capsules about 0.75 centimeter long. At maturity, they open to release a white fluff with tiny imbedded seeds.

Sitka Willow (Salix sitchensis) is a native tree or shrub that grows in northern, southern and central California. It is fast growing and moderately long-lived. It grows in an upright form to a height of 23 feet, with active growth during the spring and summer. Flowers are white and bloom in the . Leaves are light-green and deciduous. It tends to grow in edges of lakes and streams and wet meadows, at elevations from 3300-11200 feet.

Tracy's Willow (Salix tracyi) is a native tree or shrub that grows in northern California. It tends to grow at elevations from 0-7000 feet.

Samolus valerandi is a species of water pimpernel native to a very wide area across Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Americas. Common names include seaside brookweed, brookweed, thin-leaf brookweed, water cabbage, and water rose. The plant can be grown in ponds, bog gardens, and damp areas in the garden. S. valerandi prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy), and heavy (clay) soils, preferably neutral or basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot tolerate shade and likes a bright, sunny position. It requires moist or wet soil and can even grow in water. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure and is self-fertile. S. valerandi is sometimes grown in aquariums, although they seem to last only a limited time when grown fully submersed.

Official Burnet (Sanguisorba officinalis) is a rare native perennial herb that grows in Northern California, primarily in the North Coast, the Klamath Mountain Range and North Coast Range regions. It tends to grow in wet places, at elevations from 400-4600 feet.

Great Burnet (Sanguisorba officinalis ssp. microcephala) is a native perennial herb that grows in northern California. It tends to grow in wet places, at elevations from - feet.

Greasewood (Sarcobatus vermiculatus) is a native shrub that grows in northern, southern and central California. It is fast growing and long-lived. It grows in an irregular form to a height of 10 feet, with active growth during the summer. Flowers are green and bloom in the spring. Leaves are light-green and deciduous. It tends to grow in alkaline soils, dry lakes and washes, at elevations from 300-6900 feet.

Saussurea americana is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common name American saw-wort. It is native to northwestern North America from Alaska to far northern California to Montana, where it grows in mountain habitat, such as meadows and forests. It is a perennial herb producing one or more hairy, glandular, erect stems up to a meter tall or more from a thick caudex. The lance-shaped leaves are up to 15 centimeters long and have toothed edges, especially the larger lower leaves. The inflorescence is a cluster of several flower heads, each a bullet-shaped body covered in purple or purple-tinged green phyllaries. The head opens at the tip to bloom with several white to purple tubular disc florets; there are no ray florets. The fruit is an achene tipped with a pappus, the whole unit sometimes exceeding a centimeter in length. Media related to Saussurea americana at Wikimedia Commons

Saxifraga mertensiana (Mertens' Saxifrage) is a species of plant in the Saxifragaceae family. It is native to western North America.

Sceptridium multifidum is a fern species in the Ophioglossaceae (Adder's tongue family), known by the common names leathery grapefern and leathery moonwort. It is native to Europe, Asia, and North America, where it is widespread and grows in moist areas in many habitat types. This is a fleshy, leathery plant growing from a small caudex with thin, corky roots. It produces a single leaf which emerges directly from the ground. It is divided into a sterile and a fertile part. The sterile part of the leaf is wide and has rounded or oval-shaped leaflets. The fertile part of the leaf is very different in shape, with grapelike clusters of sporangia by which it reproduces.

Tule (Scirpus acutus var. occidentalis) is a native perennial herb that grows in northern, southern and central California. It tends to grow in marshes, lakes and streambanks, at elevations from 0-8200 feet.

Schoenoplectus americanus (syn. Scirpus americanus) is a species of flowering plant in the sedge family known by the common names chairmaker's bulrush and Olney's three-square bulrush. It is native to the Americas, where it is known from Alaska to Nova Scotia and all the way into southern South America; it is most common along the East and Gulf Coasts of the United States and in parts of the western states. It grows in many types of coastal and inland wetland habitat, as well as sagebrush, desert scrub, chaparral, and plains. This rhizomatous perennial herb easily exceeds two meters in height. The stiff stems are sharply three-angled and usually very concave between the edges. Each plant has three or fewer leaves which are short and narrow. The inflorescence is a small head of several spikelets which may be brown to bright orange, red, purplish, or pale and translucent. They have hairy edges. The fruit is a brown achene. The plant reproduces sexually by seed and colonies spread via vegetative reproduction, sprouting from the rhizomes. This plant, particularly the rhizomes, are a food source of muskrat, nutria, and other animals; it is strongly favored by the snow goose in its wintering grounds.

California Bulrush (Schoenoplectus californicus) is a native perennial herb in the Cyperaceae (Sedge) family that grows in northern, southern and central California. It is also found in Oregon and across the southern states to Florida. It is a definitive species of freshwater or brackish marshes, found in perennially inundated areas such as lakes and ponds, but generally not in flowing water. It tolerates standing water several feet deep where it creates sometimes massive patches. It occurs at elevations from sea level to 4,000 feet, often but not always near the coast. It is an aggressive spreader from its rhizomes and will quickly occupy all suitable area.

Slender Bulrush (Schoenoplectus heterochaetus) is a rare native grass that grows in southern and northern California. It is moderately fast growing and long-lived. It grows in an upright form to a height of 4.9 feet, with active growth during the summer. Flowers are green and bloom in the late summer. Leaves are medium green and deciduous. It tends to grow in marshes and wet places, at elevations from - feet.

Scirpus pungens, or Common Three-Square, is a herbaceous emergent in the United States.

Schoenoplectus saximontanus is a species of flowering plant in the sedge family known by the common name Rocky Mountain bulrush. It is native to North America, where it is known from several areas scattered throughout Canada, the United States, and Mexico. It grows in moist and wet habitat or shallow water, including disturbed places. It is an annual herb producing tufts of very thin, erect stems which reach about 30 centimeters in maximum height. The leaves sheath the stems and have short, narrow blades. The inflorescence is a cluster of several spikelets accompanied by a long, stiff, stemlike bract.

Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani (syn. Scirpus validus) is a species of flowering plant in the sedge family known by the common names softstem bulrush, grey club-rush, and great bulrush. It can be found throughout much of the world; it has been reported from every state in the United States (including Hawaii), and from every province and territory in Canada except Nunavut. It grows in moist and wet habitat, and sometimes in shallow water. Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani is quite variable in appearance, thus explaining the long list of synonyms that have been created over the years. It is a perennial herb producing dense stands of many narrow erect stems reaching 1-3 m (33-100 inches) in height. It grows from a long rhizome system. The leaves are mostly basal and have wide sheaths around the stems. The inflorescence is generally a panicle of spikelets on long, thin branches which spread, arch, or droop. The spikelets vary in color. There is usually along, stiff bract alongside each spikelet or cluster of spikelets.

Common Tule (Scirpus acutus var. acutus) is a native grass that grows in central California. It tends to grow in wet places, at elevations from - feet.