This is one of commonest rushes, up to 1m tall, with short matted rhizomes and large tufts of stiffly erect grey-green stems, each with 12 to 18 prominent longitudinal ridges outside, and an interrupted spongy pith inside. Inflorescence apparently lateral, very loosely branched.

other Juncus

Grey-green stiff, wiry stems, narrower than soft rush or conglomerate rush, stems strongly grooved and ridged 

Photo showing plant in its habitat, and detailed photo greyish, narrow, ridged stem

Damp grassland and marshy areas.

June to August.

Perennial.

Generally quite common in England and Wales becoming much rarer in northern Scotland.

Very common in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 576 of the 617 tetrads.