OregonFlora: Juncus canadensis vs. Juncus saximontanus

	Juncus canadensis	Juncus saximontanus
	Canada rush, Canadian rush	Rocky Mountain rush
Habit	Plants perennial, 30–100 cm tall, cespitose.	Plants perennial, 20–60 cm tall, rhizomatous.
Leaves	basal and cauline; round; hollow, septate, 1–2 mm wide; auricles 1–1.2 mm.	flat; iris-like, blue-green, partially septate; auricles 0–1.2 mm.
Inflorescences	panicles of 3–50 clusters; clusters 5–50-flowered, not obscured by inflorescence bract.	(2)10–20 clusters; clusters 4–25-flowered.
Flowers	tepals 6, green; reddish, or pale brown; tips acuminate; stamens 3; filaments 0.8–1.5 mm; anthers 0.3–0.5 mm; styles 0.2–0.3 mm.	tepals 6, often green (red) to medium brown (dark brown); stamens usually 6; filaments 0.6–1.1 mm; anthers 0.4–0.9 mm; style 0.4–0.9 mm.
Capsules	usually 0–1 mm longer than the tepals, dark brown, 1-chambered.	shorter than to longer than the tepals, brown to dark brown or blackish, obtuse or acute, 1-chambered.
Seeds	narrowly ellipsoid to linear, 1.25–1.9 × 0.2–0.25 mm; bodies 0.5– 0.8 mm; tails 0.3–0.5 mm, 0.5–1 times as long as seed body.	0.4–0.5 × 0.25–0.3 mm, apiculate, reticulate.
2n	=80.

	Juncus canadensis	Juncus saximontanus
Distribution	[WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	[WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Discussion	Shores, ponds, peatlands, disturbed sandy acidic wet ground, cranberry farms, ditches. 0–100 m. Est. WA; north to British Columbia; eastern North America; Europe, New Zealand. Exotic. This species was introduced by cranberry agriculture and is spreading into natural wetlands. Some authors suggest rare flowers have 6 stamens.	Shores, creek banks, springs, swales, peatlands, ditches. 100– 2500m. BW, Casc, ECas, Lava, Sisk, WV. CA, ID, NV, WA; north to AK, northeast to Manitoba, southeast to TX, south to Mexico. Native. Juncus saximontanus has six stamens per flower and is usually found east of the Cascade Range. It is weakly separated from J. ensifolius, which has three stamens per flower. Tepal color, inflorescence shape, and style length are unreliable means to separate them. A few plants have three to six stamens and are of uncertain status, perhaps representing hybrids.
Source	Flora of Oregon, volume 1, page 273 Peter Zika	Flora of Oregon, volume 1, page 283 Peter Zika
Sibling taxa	J. acuminatus, J. anthelatus, J. articulatus, J. balticus, J. bolanderi, J. brevicaudatus, J. breweri, J. bryoides, J. bufonius, J. bulbosus, 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	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. supiniformis, J. tenuis, J. tiehmii, J. torreyi, J. triglumis, J. trilocularis, J. uncialis
Synonyms		Juncus ensifolius var. brunnescens, Juncus ensifolius var. montanus, Juncus saximontanus var. robustior, Juncus saximontanus var. saximontanus, Juncus xiphioides, Juncus xiphioides var. xiphioides
Web links	Local floras: BC, OR, WA 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: BC, CA, OR, WA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, 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

Juncus saximontanus

Canada rush, Canadian rush

Rocky Mountain rush

Habit

Plants perennial, 30–100 cm tall, cespitose.

Plants perennial, 20–60 cm tall, rhizomatous.

Leaves

basal and cauline; round; hollow, septate, 1–2 mm wide;

auricles 1–1.2 mm.

flat; iris-like, blue-green, partially septate;

auricles 0–1.2 mm.

Inflorescences

panicles of 3–50 clusters; clusters 5–50-flowered, not obscured by inflorescence bract.

(2)10–20 clusters; clusters 4–25-flowered.

Flowers

tepals 6, green; reddish, or pale brown;

tips acuminate;

stamens 3;

filaments 0.8–1.5 mm;

anthers 0.3–0.5 mm;

styles 0.2–0.3 mm.

tepals 6, often green (red) to medium brown (dark brown);

stamens usually 6;

filaments 0.6–1.1 mm;

anthers 0.4–0.9 mm;

style 0.4–0.9 mm.

Capsules

usually 0–1 mm longer than the tepals, dark brown, 1-chambered.

shorter than to longer than the tepals, brown to dark brown or blackish, obtuse or acute, 1-chambered.

Seeds

narrowly ellipsoid to linear, 1.25–1.9 × 0.2–0.25 mm;

bodies 0.5– 0.8 mm; tails 0.3–0.5 mm, 0.5–1 times as long as seed body.

0.4–0.5 × 0.25–0.3 mm, apiculate, reticulate.

=80.

Juncus saximontanus

Distribution

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

Discussion

Shores, ponds, peatlands, disturbed sandy acidic wet ground, cranberry farms, ditches. 0–100 m. Est. WA; north to British Columbia; eastern North America; Europe, New Zealand. Exotic.

This species was introduced by cranberry agriculture and is spreading into natural wetlands. Some authors suggest rare flowers have 6 stamens.

Shores, creek banks, springs, swales, peatlands, ditches. 100– 2500m. BW, Casc, ECas, Lava, Sisk, WV. CA, ID, NV, WA; north to AK, northeast to Manitoba, southeast to TX, south to Mexico. Native.

Juncus saximontanus has six stamens per flower and is usually found east of the Cascade Range. It is weakly separated from J. ensifolius, which has three stamens per flower. Tepal color, inflorescence shape, and style length are unreliable means to separate them. A few plants have three to six stamens and are of uncertain status, perhaps representing hybrids.

Source

Flora of Oregon, volume 1, page 273
Peter Zika

Flora of Oregon, volume 1, page 283
Peter Zika

Sibling taxa

J. acuminatus, J. anthelatus, J. articulatus, J. balticus, J. bolanderi, J. brevicaudatus, J. breweri, J. bryoides, J. bufonius, J. bulbosus, 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

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. supiniformis, J. tenuis, J. tiehmii, J. torreyi, J. triglumis, J. trilocularis, J. uncialis

Synonyms

Juncus ensifolius var. brunnescens, Juncus ensifolius var. montanus, Juncus saximontanus var. robustior, Juncus saximontanus var. saximontanus, Juncus xiphioides, Juncus xiphioides var. xiphioides

Web links

Local floras: BC, CA, OR, WA
Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, 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

Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from OregonFlora.

Choose a data source: Flora of North America, OregonFlora, UW Burke Herbarium

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Juncus canadensis

Juncus saximontanus

Juncus canadensis

Juncus saximontanus