highland rush

Oreojuncus trifidus is a perennial herb with tufted stems up to 40 centimeters long, growing erect or drooping. There are a few grasslike leaf blades measuring up to 12 centimeters long. The inflorescence holds one to four flowers with brown tepals and six stamens. The fruit is a capsule a few millimeters long. The plant reproduces sexually with its flowering structures and vegetatively via its rhizome, when it may form colonies.

This species grows in a number of habitat types, especially in alpine environments. It can be found in talus, on cliffs and ledges, fellfields, tundra, and meadows. It grows in a wide variety of heath ecosystems. The soils may be dry to moist, calcareous, and acidic. They may be gravelly, sandy, and rich in iron. The plant is known as a pioneer on ski slopes and roadsides. It may grow alongside many types of mosses and lichens.