OregonFlora species comparison

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Juncus oxymeris

Juncus patens

pointed rush

gray rush, spreading rush
Habit Plants perennial, 30–90 cm tall, rhizomatous. Plants perennial, 30–90 cm tall, cespitose, fresh stems ridged, dull, blue-green, with (8)10–15 prominent strong ridges visible per side when dried, pith of fertile stems solid.
Leaves

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

auricles absent.

without blades;

distal sheaths 4–10 cm, green to pale brown distally; dull or shiny; smooth;

apex symmetrical; thin, not winged.
Inflorescences

10–70 clusters; clusters (2)3–7(11)-flowered.

a well-developed; loose cluster of 10–100+ flowers;

branches usually visible;

inflorescence bracts not swollen.
Flowers

tepals 6, green to pale brown, usually red-tipped;

stamens 6;

filaments 0.5–0.8 mm;

anthers 0.7–1.6 mm;

styles 0.4–1 mm.

tepals 6, green to pale brown;

tips acute;

stamens 6;

filaments 0.5–1 mm;

anthers 0.4–0.65 mm;

styles 0.1 mm.
Capsules

longer than the tepals, brown to dark red, usually gradually tapered to long acuminate tip, 1-chambered.

subglobose, 2–2.7 mm, pale brown;

apex rounded or subacute;

styles deciduous or inconspicuous; capsule shorter than the tepals, 1-chambered.
Seeds

0.4–0.5 × 0.2–0.25 mm, apiculate, reticulate.

0.4–0.5 × 0.2–0.3 mm, apiculate.

Juncus oxymeris

Juncus patens
Distribution
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Shores, swales, marshes, wet meadows, fresh water intertidal. 0–700m. Casc, CR, Sisk, WV. CA, WA; north to British Columbia. Native.

Shores, floodplains, wet prairies, wet forest, swales, marshes, ditches. 0–1000 m. Casc, CR, Sisk, WV. CA, WA; south to Mexico. Native.

The blue-green stems separate J. patens from all other cespitose species in Group 2, except the rare exotic J. inflexus, which has a chambered pith and dark tepals. However, the Australian introduction J. usitatus L.A.S. Johnson has become an invasive pest in northern California, where it has been mistakenly used in native plant restoration work and landscaping because it closely resembles J. patens. They are separable by the blunt not acute petals of J. usitatus, its three stamens per flower, and its tepals much shorter than the capsules. Juncus patens has six stamens per flower, and its tepals are longer than the capsules.
Source Flora of Oregon, volume 1, page 282
Peter Zika		 Flora of Oregon, volume 1, page 282
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. 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. 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. pelocarpus, J. planifolius, J. ranarius, J. regelii, J. saximontanus, J. supiniformis, J. tenuis, J. tiehmii, J. torreyi, J. triglumis, J. trilocularis, J. uncialis
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Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from OregonFlora.



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