OregonFlora: Juncus acutus vs. Juncaceae

	Juncus acutus	Juncaceae
		rush family
Habit		Plants annual or perennial herbs, cespitose, rhizomatous, or stoloniferous.
Stems		(culms) herbaceous, usually erect.
Leaves		basal and/or alternate, spirally arranged; each consisting of a sheath that encircles the stem; and; if present; a simple blade, sometimes reduced to a short awn; leaf sheaths open or closed, membranous auricles sometimes present at junction of sheath and blade; leaf blades simple, usually linear to lanceolate with parallel veins, glabrous or hairy.
Inflorescences		terminal, sometimes appearing lateral under an erect bract; flowers solitary or in loose to dense clusters, sometimes head-like, or in open cymes; umbels, or racemes.
Flowers		usually bisexual, rarely unisexual; perianth of (4)6 inconspicuous tepals in 2 alternating whorls; free; stamens (0)2–6; anthers 2-chambered; ovary superior; style 1; carpels 3, primarily wind-pollinated.
Fruit		a loculicidal capsule.
Seeds		3–200, apiculate or with an elongate white tail or aril.

	Juncus acutus	Juncaceae
Distribution	[WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	[BONAP county map]
Discussion		Cosmopolitan. 8 genera; 2 genera treated in Flora.
Source		Flora of Oregon, volume 1, page 266
Sibling taxa	J. acuminatus, J. anthelatus, J. articulatus, J. balticus, J. bolanderi, J. brevicaudatus, J. breweri, J. bryoides, J. bufonius, J. bulbosus, J. canadensis, J. capillaris, J. capitatus, J. compressus, J. confusus, J. conglomeratus, J. covillei, J. diffusissimus, J. drummondii, J. dudleyi, J. effusus, J. ensifolius, J. ensifolius x Juncus nevadensis, J. exiguus, J. falcatus, J. filiformis, J. gerardi, J. hemiendytus, J. hesperius, J. howellii, J. inflexus, J. interior, J. kelloggii, J. laccatus, J. lescurii, J. longistylis, J. marginatus, J. mertensianus, J. mexicanus, J. nevadensis, J. occidentalis, J. orthophyllus, J. oxymeris, J. parryi, J. patens, J. pelocarpus, J. planifolius, J. ranarius, J. regelii, J. saximontanus, J. supiniformis, J. tenuis, J. tiehmii, J. torreyi, J. triglumis, J. trilocularis, J. uncialis
Web links	Local Web sites: Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	Local floras: CA, OR Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Juncus acutus

Juncaceae

rush family

Habit

Plants annual or perennial herbs, cespitose, rhizomatous, or stoloniferous.

Stems

(culms) herbaceous, usually erect.

Leaves

basal and/or alternate, spirally arranged; each consisting of a sheath that encircles the stem; and; if present; a simple blade, sometimes reduced to a short awn; leaf sheaths open or closed, membranous auricles sometimes present at junction of sheath and blade;

leaf blades simple, usually linear to lanceolate with parallel veins, glabrous or hairy.

Inflorescences

terminal, sometimes appearing lateral under an erect bract;

flowers solitary or in loose to dense clusters, sometimes head-like, or in open cymes; umbels, or racemes.

Flowers

usually bisexual, rarely unisexual;

perianth of (4)6 inconspicuous tepals in 2 alternating whorls; free;

stamens (0)2–6;

anthers 2-chambered;

ovary superior;

style 1;

carpels 3, primarily wind-pollinated.