Scirpus congdonii is a species of flowering plant in the sedge family known by the common name Congdon's bulrush after noted Californian botanist J. W. Congdon. It is native to the mountains and plateaus of far northern California and adjacent sections of southern Oregon and western Nevada. It can be found in wetland habitat and other moist areas, such as mountain meadows and waterways. It is a perennial herb forming a loose or dense clump of erect stems growing up to half a meter tall, solitary stems sometimes occurring as well. The stems are three-angled and narrow at the middle. Sheathing leaves occur at the stem bases as well as higher up the stems. The inflorescence occurs at the end of the stem, with small additional ones growing from leaf axils. The inflorescence consists of several clusters of many spikelets wrapped at the bases in a leaflike bract.

Panicled Bulrush (Scirpus microcarpus) is a native grass 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 5.5 feet, with active growth during the spring, summer, fall. Flowers are white and bloom in the late spring. Leaves are medium green and deciduous. It tends to grow in marshes, at elevations from 0-9000 feet.

Sclerolinon is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the flax family containing the single species Sclerolinon digynum, which is known by the common name northwestern yellowflax. It is native to the western United States where it is known from Washington and Idaho through central California; however, it may now be extirpated from Idaho. It grows in seasonally wet habitat such as mountain meadows and vernal pools. This is an annual herb producing a hairless, erect stem up to 20 centimeters tall. The leaves are oval in shape, the upper ones with serrated edges. They are oppositely arranged about the stem and grow erect instead of spreading away from the stem. The inflorescence is a cyme of flowers surrounded by serrated, leaflike bracts. The flower has five yellow petals in a calyx of toothed sepals.

Scutellaria bolanderi is a species of flowering plant in the mint family known by the common name Sierra skullcap. It is endemic to California, where it is known from the Sierra Nevada and several of the mountain ranges to the south. It is a perennial herb producing an erect stem or cluster of stems 30 centimeters to one meter tall from a system of thin rhizomes. The stems are coated in short, spreading hairs which sometimes have resin glands. The oval or heart-shaped leaves have wavy edges and are oppositely arranged. The lowest leaves are borne on short petioles. Flowers emerge from the leaf axils. Each flower is held in a calyx of sepals with a large ridge or appendage on the upper part. The corolla is between 1 and 2 centimeters long and tubular in shape with a large upper and lower lip. The upper lip is folded into a beaklike protrusion and the lower has three wide lobes. The corolla is white or very pale blue with an area of blue mottling on the lower lip.

Scutellaria lateriflora, is a herbaceous plant also known as Blue skullcap, Hoodwort, Virginian skullcap, mad-dog skullcap is a hardy perennial herb native to North America. It is a member of the mint family Lamiaceae, which also includes many other herbs. The form is upright and is usually 0.2 meter to 0.45 meter in height. It is a wetland loving species and grows along fens and shorelines. The blue flowers appear in July to September and are 10-20 millimeter; long. Most of the flowers do not appear at the top of the main stem, but are produced along the length of side branches that grow from the nodes of the main stem. The flowers are grouped in pairs and orientate themselves to one side of the branches. The name of the species, 'lateriflora' means having 'lateral flowers' or 'flowers to the side.' Scutellaria lateriflora is used in herbal medicine as a mild sedative and sleep promoter. Scutellaria, as a genus, has numerous medicinal uses and various species of skullcap are used in the same way. It should be noted though that the traditional uses of Virginian Skullcap should not be confused with those of other Skullcaps as there are 200 different species of Skullcap and they are not all used in the same way. Blue skullcap is often used in the same way as for Common skullcap (S. galericulata), Western skullcap (S. cordifolia), or Southern skullcap all of which are very genetically similar. Blue Skullcap and Common Skullcap are mainly known for their traditional use as an incense and herbal teas.

Sedella pumila is a species of flowering plant in the stonecrop family known by the common name Sierra mock stonecrop. It is native to California, where it grows in the North Coast Ranges and adjacent sections of the Central Valley to the Sierra Nevada foothills. It is a plant of vernal pools and similar habitat, growing in rocky and gravelly flats of serpentine soils, limestone, and soils of volcanic origin, often alongside mosses. This is an annual herb growing 2 to 17 centimeters high, in shades of green, yellow, and red. It has small knobby succulent leaves each a few millimeters long. The flowers atop the threadlike stems have fleshy sepals and yellowish petals a few millimeters in length. The flowers have a musty scent.

Senecio clarkianus is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common name Clark's ragwort. It is endemic to the Sierra Nevada of California, where it grows in the moist meadows on the western slopes of the range. It is a perennial herb growing up to 1. 2 meters tall from a caudex and fibrous root system. The solitary erect stem is lined evenly with leaves up to about 18 centimeters long, their blades deeply lobed or dissected into narrow, pointed segments. The herbage is hairy to woolly in texture. The inflorescence bears several flower heads which are lined with green-tipped phyllaries. They contain many yellow disc florets and each has usually 8 or 13 narrow yellow ray florets about a centimeter long, sometimes longer.

Senecio hydrophilus is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common names water ragwort and alkali-marsh ragwort. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to California to Colorado, where it grows in swampy places such as marshes. It can grow in standing water, including alkaline and salty water. It is a biennial or perennial herb producing a single erect stem or a cluster of a few stems which may exceed one meter in maximum height, at times approaching two meters. The stem is hollow, waxy in texture, and often pale green in color, and it emerges from a small caudex. The thick leaves are lance-shaped to oval with smooth or toothed edges, the blades up to 20 centimeters long and borne on petioles. Smaller leaves occur farther up the stem. The inflorescence is one or more large, spreading clusters of many flower heads. They contain many yellowish disc florets at the center and sometimes have small yellow ray florets as well.

Senecio integerrimus is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common names lambstongue ragwort and tall western groundsel. It is native to western and central North America, where it grows in grassland, forest, and other habitat. It is a biennial or perennial herb producing a single erect stem 20 to 70 centimeters tall from a caudex with a fleshy root. The linear to lance-shaped or triangular leaves have blades up to 25 centimeters long. The herbage is slightly hairy to woolly or cobwebby. The inflorescence bears several flower heads in a cluster, the middle, terminal head often largest and held on a shorter peduncle, making the cluster look flat. The heads contain many disc florets and usually 8 or 13 ray florets which may be yellow to cream to white in color. Some heads lack ray florets.

Senecio scorzonella, known by the common name Sierra ragwort, is a species of the genus Senecio and family Asteraceae which is native to California and Nevada. It grows in the southernmost Cascade Range, the Sierra Nevada, and the White Mountains. Media related to Senecio scorzonella at Wikimedia Commons

Senecio serra is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common names tall ragwort and sawtooth groundsel. It is native to the western United States, where it can be found in several types of habitat, including sagebrush and woodlands. It is a perennial herb producing a single erect stem or a cluster of stems from a branched, woody caudex. The plant can exceed two meters in height. It is hairless in texture, with young plants sometimes appearing fuzzy, and green to red-tinged in color. The leaves have lance-shaped blades up to 20 centimeters long borne on short petioles, the leaves occurring evenly all along the stems. The inflorescence is a spreading array of many flower heads, each lined with green- or black-tipped phyllaries. The heads contain yellow disc florets and 5 to 8 yellow ray florets each under a centimeter long.

Arrowhead Butterweed (Senecio triangularis) is a native perennial herb that grows in northern, southern and central California. It is moderately fast growing and long-lived. It grows in an upright form to a height of 4 feet, with active growth during the summer and fall. Flowers are yellow and striking, and bloom in the mid summer. Leaves are medium green and deciduous. It tends to grow in wet meadows and streambanks in open places, at elevations from 4000-11000 feet.

Sesbania herbacea (syn. Sesbania exaltata) is a species of flowering plant in the legume family known by the common names bigpod sesbania, Colorado River-hemp, and coffeeweed. It is native to the United States, particularly the southeastern states, where it grows in moist habitat. It can be found elsewhere as an introduced species. It is a woody herb growing to 3 meters or more in height. The leaves are made up of many pairs of oblong leaflets. The inflorescence is a small raceme of pealike flowers with yellow or purple-spotted petals.

Sesuvium verrucosum is a species of flowering plant in the iceplant family known by the common names western sea-purslane and verrucose sea-purslane. It is native to the Americas, where it can be found in the southwestern quadrant of the United States, Mexico, and parts of South America. It grows in many types of saline and alkaline habitat types on the coast and inland, including salt marshes and other saline wetlands, alkali flats, and drying desert washes. It is a perennial herb producing many branching prostrate stems up to a metre long, forming a mat up to two metres wide. The herbage is verrucose, covered densely in crystalline bumps. The stems are lined with leaves of varying shapes which measure up to 4 cm long. Flowers occur in the leaf axils. They have no petals, but the five, pointed sepals are generally bright pink to reddish or orange in color with a thick, verrucose outer surface. At the centre of the flower is a ring of stamens around the central ovary. The fruit is a capsule about 500 mm long containing many seeds.

Sidalcea calycosa is a native annual herb in the Malvaceae (Mallow) family that grows in central and northern California from the coast to the central valley and Sierra foothills. It tends to grow in marshes, vernal pools and other wet places, at elevations from sea level to 3,900 feet. There are two recognized subspecies. Ssp. rhizomata (Pt. Reyes Checkerbloom) is a rare plant found only along the coast in Marin, Sonoma and Mendocino counties. Sidalcea calycosa is most often seen as an annual, but if conditions are right it may become a weak perennial growing from a rhizome. In the garden it needs a very wet area and not too much competition. If conditions are good it will spread.

Pt. Reyes Checkerbloom (Sidalcea calycosa ssp. rhizomata) is a rare native perennial herb that grows in Central and Northern California, primarily in the North Coast and Central Coast regions. It tends to grow in marshes and wet places, at elevations from 0-3900 feet.

Sidalcea hirsuta is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family known by the common name hairy checkerbloom. It is endemic to California, where it grows in seasonally wet habitat throughout the north-central part of the state, such as vernal pools. It is found in the North California Coast Ranges, the Sacramento Valley and San Joaquin Valley, and the Sierra Nevada foothills. Sidalcea hirsuta is an annual herb that produces a thick stem up to 80 centimeters tall, the top parts covered in bristly hairs. The leaf blades are deeply divided into narrow linear lobes and coated in bristles. The inflorescence is a dense cluster of flowers with pink petals up to 2. 5 centimeters long.

Salt Spring Checkerbloom (Sidalcea neomexicana) is a rare native perennial herb that grows in southern and central California. It is moderately fast growing and moderately long-lived. It grows in an upright form to a height of 2.5 feet, with active growth during the spring and summer. Flowers are purple and striking, and bloom in the mid spring. Leaves are medium green and deciduous. It tends to grow in alkaline springs and marshes, at elevations from 0-4900 feet.

Oregon Checker Mallow (Sidalcea oregana) is a native perennial herb that grows in Northern, Southern and Central California, primarily in the High Sierra Nevada region. It is moderately fast growing and moderately long-lived. It grows in an upright form to a height of 4.5 feet, with active growth during the spring and summer. Flowers are purple and striking, and bloom in the late spring. Leaves are medium green and deciduous. It tends to grow in wet meadows and marshes, at elevations from 0-9800 feet.

Oregon Checkerbloom (Sidalcea oregana ssp. oregana) is a native perennial herb that grows in central and northern California. It tends to grow in wet meadows and marshes, at elevations from 1600-8200 feet.

Spicate Checker Mallow (Sidalcea oregana ssp. spicata) is a native perennial herb that grows in northern, southern and central California. It tends to grow in wet meadows and marshes, at elevations from 3600-9800 feet.

Sidalcea ranunculacea is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family known by the common name marsh checkerbloom and marsh checker mallow. The plant is endemic to California, known only within Tulare County and Kern County. It grows in the Southern Sierra Nevada and Greenhorn Mountains at 1,820-3,050 metres (5,970-10,010 ft) in elevation. Many populations are within the Sequoia National Forest, Sequoia National Park, or Kings Canyon National Park. It grows in moist areas, such as wet meadows and on stream banks, in yellow pine forest, red fir forest, lodgepole forest habitats. Sidalcea ranunculacea is a rhizomatous perennial herb reaching up to 0. 5 metres (1. 6 ft) tall. It is coated in hairs, the lower ones becoming bristly. The fleshy lobed leaf blades also have hairs and bristles. The inflorescence is a dense, spikelike cluster or series of clusters of flowers. Each flower has five pink to purple petals up to 1. 5 centimeters long. The blooming period is June to August.

Sidalcea reptans is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family known by the common name Sierra checkerbloom and Sierra checker mallow. The plant is endemic to California, where it can be found throughout the Sierra Nevada at 1,120-2,000 metres (3,670-6,560 ft) in elevation, especially the central peaks of the range. It grows in moist and dry habitat types in the mountains, in meadows of yellow pine forest and red fir forest. Sidalcea reptans is a rhizomatous perennial herb reaching up to 0. 5 metres (1. 6 ft) tall. Lower portions of the stem sometimes root when in contact with moist substrate. It is coated in long, bristly hairs. The leaf blades are also bristly. They vary in shape, the lower ones barely lobed and borne on long petioles, and the higher ones often deeply cut into lobes. The inflorescence is a long, open series of flowers with pink to lavender petals up to 2 centimeters in length. The bloom period is June to August.

Sidalcea stipularis is a rare species of flowering plant in the mallow family, known by the common name Scadden Flat checkerbloom. The plant is endemic to Nevada County in eastern California. It is known from only two occurrences on Scadden Flat in the Sierra Nevada foothills, near Grass Valley. It grows in marshy habitats. Sidalcea stipularis is a rhizomatous perennial herb, producing a bristle-haired stem up to 65 centimeters tall. The leaves have oval, unlobed blades on petioles and are evenly spaced along the stem. Each is accompanied by short stipules. The inflorescence is a headlike cluster of flowers with a cuplike skirt of hairy bracts. Each flower has five pink petals about 1. 5 centimeters long each. Threats to this rare species include the invasion of Himalayan blackberry (Rubus armeniacus) into its habitat. One of the two occurrences is next to a road where there is heavy CalTrans activity. The plant has no federal protection but it is a state-listed endangered species in California, which means that killing or possessing this species is prohibited unless permitted by the California Department of Fish and Game (California Fish and Game Code Section 2080).

Silene menziesii is a species of flowering plant in the pink family known by the common names Menzies' campion and Menzies' catchfly. It is native to western North America from Alaska through the western half of Canada to the southwestern United States. It can be found in many types of habitat and it is quite common in much of its range. It is variable in morphology and there are a number of varied subtaxa. In general, it is a perennial herb growing from a caudex, appearing matlike, decumbent, or erect, with stems a few centimeters to over half a meter long. It is usually hairy in texture, with upper parts bearing sticky glandular hairs. The leaves are lance-shaped, oppositely arranged in pairs, and a few centimeters in length, upper leaves usually smaller than lower. Flowers may occur in a cyme at the top of the stem, or in leaf axils, or both. Each is encapsulated in a hairy, veined calyx of fused sepals. The petals are white with two lobes at the tips. The plant is dioecious with male and female plants producing different flowers. The male and female flower types look the same externally; the stamens are reduced in female plants and the stigmas are reduced in the male.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Prefers sun or part shade in coastal sites, and part shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Prefers sun or part shade in coastal sites, and part shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Prefers sun or part shade in coastal sites, and part shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Prefers sun or part shade in coastal sites, and part shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Prefers sun or part shade in coastal sites, and part shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden.

Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Prefers sun or part shade in coastal sites, and part shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Prefers sun or part shade in coastal sites, and part shade in inland sites. California and Oregon.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Prefers sun or part shade in coastal sites, and part shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Prefers sun or part shade in coastal sites, and part shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden.

Horticultural selection from sisyrinchium bellum. This grass is a dwarf version of sisyrinchium bellum but shares similar characteristics. It has striking blue-violet flowers on this 6 in to 12 in. grass. It is highly recommended for rock gardens as well as bordering a pathway. It does really well in full sun and doesn't need a lot of water. Tolerates almost any soil type. Prefers sun or part shade in coastal sites, and part shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Prefers sun or part shade in coastal sites, and part shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Prefers sun or part shade in coastal sites, and part shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Prefers sun or part shade in coastal sites, and part shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden.

Yellow Eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium californicum) is a perennial herb that naturally grows in moist environments. It is a member of the Iris family, with blade-like leaves. Yellow star-shaped flowers appear from May through June. It forms small clumps and self-sows in favorable conditions, and does best in full sun with regular watering.

Yellow Eyed Grass is adaptable to many types of soil. On the coast it takes full sun and inland grows in part shade. Yellow Eyed Grass is great for moist meadow gardens, rain gardens, in containers, or borders with adequate irrigation.

Sisyrinchium elmeri is a species of flowering plant in the iris family known by the common name Elmer's blue-eyed grass. It is endemic to California, where it is known from many of the mountain ranges from the Klamath Mountains through the Sierra Nevada to the San Bernardino Mountains. It grows in moist habitat types such as meadows and bogs. Sisyrinchium elmeri is rhizomatous perennial herb takes a clumpy form, its narrow stems growing up to about 20 to 30 centimeters tall. It is medium green and nonwaxy, and it dries to a dark green or brownish color, but does not turn black. The flat, narrow leaves are grasslike. The flower has six tepals measuring roughly a centimeter long. They are yellow to yellow-orange with dark brown veining. The fruit is a dark brown capsule. Sisyrinchium elmeri is rhizomatous perennial herb takes a clumpy form, its narrow stems growing up to about 20 to 30 centimeters tall. It is medium green and nonwaxy, and it dries to a dark green or brownish color, but does not turn black. The flat, narrow leaves are grasslike. The flower has six tepals measuring roughly a centimeter long. They are yellow to yellow-orange with dark brown veining. The fruit is a dark brown capsule.

Sisyrinchium halophilum is a species of flowering plant in the iris family known by the common name Nevada blue-eyed grass. It is native to the western United States in and around the Great Basin and Mojave Desert, where it grows in moist, often highly alkaline habitat, such as seeps, meadows, and mineral springs. Sisyrinchium halophilum is rhizomatous perennial herb takes a clumpy form, producing waxy stems up 26 to 40 centimeters in maximum height. The flat leaves are grasslike. The flower has six tepals measuring roughly one centimeter long each. They are pale blue to purple-blue with yellow bases. The tepal tips are often squared or notched or have a tiny point. The fruit is a beige capsule. Sisyrinchium halophilum is rhizomatous perennial herb takes a clumpy form, producing waxy stems up 26 to 40 centimeters in maximum height. The flat leaves are grasslike. The flower has six tepals measuring roughly one centimeter long each. They are pale blue to purple-blue with yellow bases. The tepal tips are often squared or notched or have a tiny point. The fruit is a beige capsule.

Sisyrinchium idahoense, or Idaho blue-eyed grass, is a perennial that grows 6-18 inches tall with narrow grass-like leaves and blue-violet, yellow-throated flowers. It is native to the western United States and Canada, typically growing in moist meadows and by stream banks. It is not a true grass, but is related to the Iris.

Sium suave (from the Latin sium, the Latinization of Greek sion, meaning "water parsley," and suâvis, meaning "sweet. "), the hemlock waterparsnip or water parsnip, is a herb native to parts of Eurasia and North America. The water parsnip is a member of the Apiaceae family and appears with leaves and white flowers during blooming. The plant lives in marshes and other wetland in areas below 3000 feet.

Solanum douglasii is a species of nightshade known by the common name greenspot nightshade. It is native to the northern half of Mexico and the southwestern south-central United States. Its habitat includes scrub and woodland. Solanum douglasii is a perennial herb or subshrub approaching two meters in maximum height. The stem is coated in short, white hairs. The leaves may be up to 9 centimeters long and have smooth or toothed edges. The inflorescence is an umbel-shaped array of flowers with star-shaped white corollas up to a centimeter wide. There are generally green spots at the bases of the corolla lobes. The yellow anthers are a few millimeters in length. Flowers may be seen blooming throughout much of the year. The fruit is a spherical berry up to a centimeter wide. Native Americans used the juice of the berries medicinally, and as dye for tattooing.

Solidago confinis, commonly called southern goldenrod, is a North American species of flowering plants in the sunflower family. It is native to California, southern Nevada, and Baja California. Solidago confinis is a perennial herb sometimes as much as 200 cm (80 inches) tall, with a thick, woody underground caudex. One plant can produce up to 320 small yellow flower heads in a showy, branching array at the top of the stem.

Solidago spectabilis is a species of goldenrod known by the common names Nevada goldenrod, basin goldenrod, and showy goldenrod. It is native to the western United States in the Great Basin and surrounding areas. It is found in California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, and Utah. There are historical records saying it once grew in southwestern Idaho, but is now extirpated there. Solidago spectabilis grows in moist habitat, including bogs, meadows, seeps, streambanks, hot springs, and wet areas on alkali flats. It is a rhizomatous perennial herb producing one or more erect stems that can reach two meters (5 feet) in maximum height. It is mostly hairless but can have occasional patches of rough hairs. There is a basal rosette of fleshy, lance-shaped leaves measuring up to 25 centimeters (10 inches), the blades borne on winged petioles. The edges may be wavy or slightly toothed. Leaves farther up the stem are smaller and usually smooth-edged. The inflorescence is a large erect or arching array of many flower heads, with some containing up to 100 heads. Each flower head contains 8-22 yellow disc florets surrounded 5-15 narrow yellow ray florets each no more than 4 millimeters long.

Sparganium angustifolium is a species of flowering plant in the cat-tail family known by the common names floating bur-reed and narrowleaf bur-reed. It has a circumboreal distribution, occurring throughout the northern latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. It is an aquatic plant, growing in water up to 2. 5 meters deep. Its habitat includes acidic, low-nutrient freshwater bodies such as ponds, lakes, slow-moving streams, and ditches. It can become abundant, practically covering the surface of the water. It is a perennial herb producing a floating stem with long, narrow, flattened leaves which can be quite long, sometimes reaching over two meters. It is monoecious, individual plants bearing both male and female inflorescences. These are spherical, the male inflorescence a ball of stamens and the female inflorescence a ball of developing fruits.

Sparganium emersum is a species of flowering plant in the cat-tail family known by the common names European bur-reed and unbranched bur-reed. It has a circumboreal distribution, occurring throughout the northern latitudes of Eurasia and North America. It is an aquatic plant, growing in shallow water bodies such as ponds and streams. It can become abundant at times. It is a perennial herb producing a floating stem up to 2 meters long. The leaves may be limp and floating or stiff and erect, emerging above the water surface. The leaves are flat and straplike, sometimes with a triangular, keeled base that can help distinguish it from the similar Sparganium angustifolium. It is monoecious, individual plants bearing both male and female inflorescences. These are spherical, the male inflorescence a ball of stamens and the female inflorescence a ball of developing fruits growing beneath the male spheres.

Sparganium eurycarpum is a species of bur-reed known by the common names broadfruit bur-reed and giant bur-reed. It is native to wetlands in Eurasia and North America. It is a clonal perennial, spreading by below-ground rhizomes. The common name, bur-reed, arises from the distinctive round clusters of fruits that take the form of a mace. It can be distinguished from all other species of bur-reed by the presence of two stigmas. This species frequently occurs in areas with spring flooding, and may be emersed during periods of lower water. The buried rhizomes provide one method to survive periods of drought, fire, or ice scour. The flowers are wind pollinated, the male flower clusters being separate and more highly elevated than the female. It also produces large seeds, which can accumulate in the soil as buried reserves. It can form dense stands under the right conditions; for example, Sparganium is one of the four main vegetation types in the Ottawa River, Canada. Muskrats feed on the plant, particularly its rhizomes, while the seeds are an important food source for waterfowl.

Bur Reed (Sparganium eurycarpum ssp. eurycarpum) is a native perennial herb that grows in northern, southern and central California. It tends to grow in pond and lake edges, marshes, streams, at elevations from 0-4600 feet.

Spartina foliosa is a species of grass known by the common name California cordgrass. It is native to the salt marshes and mudflats of coastal California and Baja California, especially San Francisco Bay. It is a perennial grass growing from short rhizomes. It produces single stems or clumps of thick, fleshy stems which grow up to 1. 5 meters tall. They are green or purple-tinged. The long, narrow leaves are flat or rolled inward. The inflorescence is a narrow, dense, spike-like stick of branches appressed together, the unit reaching up to 25 centimeters long. The lower spikelets are sometimes enclosed in the basal sheaths of upper leaves. This native plant is seriously threatened by the invasion of its non-native relative smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora). The latter was introduced to San Francisco Bay in the 1970s and it quickly began to hybridize with S. foliosa, leading to the near-extirpation of the once-common native plant. The two species reproduce at the same time of year, and the invader sheds large amounts of pollen that fertilize the flowers of the native, so that the majority of the native plant's offspring are hybrids. There are almost no pure individuals of S. foliosa left, as most plants in the area are hybrids: this is an example of genetic pollution. Hybrids of the two species have spread rapidly because they are much more genetically fit than either parent, an example of hybrid vigor. Pure S. foliosa will probably become extirpated from San Francisco Bay, and only its hybrids will remain.

Alkali Cord Grass (Spartina gracilis) is a rare native grass that grows in Central and Northern California, primarily in the White and Inyo Mountains, the Sierra Nevada East and Mojave Desert regions. It is moderately fast growing and long-lived. It grows in an upright form to a height of 3 feet, with active growth during the spring and summer. Flowers are yellow and bloom in the late summer. Leaves are medium green and deciduous. It tends to grow in alkaline lake shores, at elevations from 3300-6900 feet.