The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

sharpflower rush

dichotomous rush, fork rush

Habit Herbs, perennial, rhizomatous, to 8 dm. Herbs, perennial, to 10 dm.
Rhizomes

5–6 mm diam., nodes not swollen.

densely branched to short- creeping.

Culms

erect, terete, 3 mm diam., smooth.

Cataphylls

1, straw-colored, apex acute.

1–3.

Leaves

basal 1, cauline 2;

auricles 0.5 mm, apex rounded, cartilaginous;

blade 7–45 cm x 1–2 mm, terete, not scabrous.

basal, (1-)2-3;

auricles 0.2-0.5(-0.6) mm, scarious to leathery;

blade nearly terete, channeled or flat, 10-25(-40) cm × (0.5-)0.7-1(-1.2) mm, margins entire.

Inflorescences

terminal panicles of 70–120 heads, 6–10 cm, branches ascending;

primary bract erect;

heads 3–5(–8)-flowered, obconic, 2–4 mm diam.

terminal, (5–)10–85(–100)-flowered, congested to somewhat loose, (1-)2.5-10(-13) cm;

primary bract usually exceeding inflorescence.

Flowers

tepals dark reddish brown, lanceolate, apex acuminate to subulate tipte;

outer tepals 1.9–2.2 mm;

inner tepals 2–2.3 mm;

stamens 6, anthers 2 times filament length.

bracteoles 2;

tepals green, lanceolate, (3-)3.3-4.5(-5.5) mm;

outer and inner series nearly equal;

stamens 6, filaments 0.6–1.2 mm, anthers 0.4-0.8(-1) mm;

style 0.2 mm.

Capsules

inserted with beak exserted, straw-colored, 1-locular, narrowly ovoid, 2.3–2.4 mm, tapering to subulate tip, valves separating at dehiscence.

tan to brown, 1-locular to pseudo-3-locular, ellipsoid to widely so, (2.5-)2.8-3.5(-4.5) × 1x 1.6-2.2 mm.

Seeds

narrowly ovoid, 0.5–0.6 mm, not tailed;

body clear yellow-brown.

brownish to amber, ellipsoid to lunate, 0.3-0.4 mm, not tailed.

2n

= ca. 80.

Juncus acutiflorus

Juncus dichotomus

Phenology Fruiting fall. Flowering and fruiting late spring–summer.
Habitat Wet woods Ditches, shores, clearings, and other typically open areas, usually in sandy, well-drained (but frequently wet) soil
Elevation 0–10 m (0–0 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
NF; SPM; Europe; Asia; Africa
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; CO; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; KY; LA; MA; MD; MS; NC; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; SC; TN; VA; WV; Mexico; Central America; South America; Texas
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 22. FNA vol. 22.
Parent taxa Juncaceae > Juncus > subg. Septati Juncaceae > Juncus > subg. Poiophylli
Sibling taxa
J. acuminatus, J. acutus, J. alpinoarticulatus, J. anthelatus, J. arcticus, J. articulatus, J. biglumis, J. bolanderi, J. brachycarpus, J. brachycephalus, J. brachyphyllus, J. brevicaudatus, J. bryoides, J. bufonius, J. bulbosus, J. caesariensis, J. canadensis, J. capillaris, J. capitatus, J. castaneus, J. chlorocephalus, J. compressus, J. confusus, J. cooperi, J. coriaceus, J. covillei, J. debilis, J. dichotomus, J. diffusissimus, J. drummondii, J. dubius, J. dudleyi, J. effusus, J. elliottii, J. ensifolius, J. falcatus, J. filiformis, J. filipendulus, J. georgianus, J. gerardii, J. greenei, J. gymnocarpus, J. hallii, J. hemiendytus, J. howellii, J. inflexus, J. interior, J. kelloggii, J. leiospermus, J. lesueurii, J. longistylis, J. luciensis, J. macrandrus, J. macrophyllus, J. marginatus, J. maritimus, J. megacephalus, J. mertensianus, J. militaris, J. nevadensis, J. nodatus, J. nodosus, J. occidentalis, J. orthophyllus, J. oxymeris, J. parryi, J. patens, J. pelocarpus, J. pervetus, J. phaeocephalus, J. polycephalus, J. regelii, J. repens, J. roemerianus, J. scirpoides, J. secundus, J. squarrosus, J. stygius, J. subcaudatus, J. subtilis, J. supiniformis, J. tenuis, J. texanus, J. textilis, J. tiehmii, J. torreyi, J. trifidus, J. triformis, J. triglumis, J. trigonocarpus, J. uncialis, J. validus, J. vaseyi, J. xiphioides
J. acuminatus, J. acutiflorus, J. acutus, J. alpinoarticulatus, J. anthelatus, J. arcticus, J. articulatus, J. biglumis, J. bolanderi, J. brachycarpus, J. brachycephalus, J. brachyphyllus, J. brevicaudatus, J. bryoides, J. bufonius, J. bulbosus, J. caesariensis, J. canadensis, J. capillaris, J. capitatus, J. castaneus, J. chlorocephalus, J. compressus, J. confusus, J. cooperi, J. coriaceus, J. covillei, J. debilis, J. diffusissimus, J. drummondii, J. dubius, J. dudleyi, J. effusus, J. elliottii, J. ensifolius, J. falcatus, J. filiformis, J. filipendulus, J. georgianus, J. gerardii, J. greenei, J. gymnocarpus, J. hallii, J. hemiendytus, J. howellii, J. inflexus, J. interior, J. kelloggii, J. leiospermus, J. lesueurii, J. longistylis, J. luciensis, J. macrandrus, J. macrophyllus, J. marginatus, J. maritimus, J. megacephalus, J. mertensianus, J. militaris, J. nevadensis, J. nodatus, J. nodosus, J. occidentalis, J. orthophyllus, J. oxymeris, J. parryi, J. patens, J. pelocarpus, J. pervetus, J. phaeocephalus, J. polycephalus, J. regelii, J. repens, J. roemerianus, J. scirpoides, J. secundus, J. squarrosus, J. stygius, J. subcaudatus, J. subtilis, J. supiniformis, J. tenuis, J. texanus, J. textilis, J. tiehmii, J. torreyi, J. trifidus, J. triformis, J. triglumis, J. trigonocarpus, J. uncialis, J. validus, J. vaseyi, J. xiphioides
Synonyms J. dichotomus var. platyphyllus, J. tenuis var. dichotomus, J. tenuis var. platyphyllus, J. platyphyllus
Name authority Ehrhart: in G. F. Hoffmann, Deutschl. Fl. 1: 125. (1791) Elliott
Web links