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sharp rush, spiny rush

grass rush, grass-leaf rush, grassleaf or red-anther rush

Habit Herbs, perennial, occasionally tufted, sometimes rhizomatous, 3–13 dm.
Rhizomes

short, knotty.

Culms

compressed.

Leaves

basal and cauline;

auricles 0.5–1.5 mm, apex rounded, membranous;

basal blade flat, 20–4.5 dcm × 1.5–5 mm, cauline reduced.

Inflorescences

glomerules, (2–)5–200, each with (1–)2–10(–20) flowers, mostly open, 3–10(–15) cm;

primary bract shorter than inflorescence.

Flowers

tepals dark brownish, usually with green midstripe, outer series ovate-lanceolate, 1.8–3.2 mm, margins broad, clear, awned or not, apex acutish;

inner series ovate to lanceolate, 2–3.5 mm, slightly longer than outer series, apex obtuse to acute, awned or not;

stamens 3, opposite outer tepals, shorter to longer than tepals, filaments 1.1–2.5 mm, anthers 0.3–1.2 mm;

style 0.3 mm.

Capsules

brown and sometimes dark spotted, 3-locular, obovoid to nearly globose, 1.8–2.9 mm, shorter to longer than perianth.

Seeds

yellow to light brown, fusiform, 0.4–0.7 mm, not tailed.

2n

= 38, 40.

Juncus acutus

Juncus marginatus

Phenology Flowering and fruiting late spring–fall.
Habitat Moist to wet sandy, peaty, or clayey soils, usually in open areas including bogs, shores, marshes, and ditches
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; NV; South America; Mexico (Baja Calif); South Africa; Atlantic Islands
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; AZ; CA; CO; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; NC; NE; NH; NJ; NM; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; VA; VT; WI; WV; NS; ON; Mexico; Central America; West Indies (Cuba)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Subspecies 2 (1 in the flora).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

The number of glomerules per inflorescence, stamen length vs.versus perianth length, and tepal shape have separately and in combination been used to distinguish a number of taxa at various nomenclaturalorial ranks. These characters, however, vary considerably across the distribution of the species (broad sense) and do so independently of one another to the point that if separate taxa are recognized, they pass insensibly among each other.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 22, p. 237. FNA vol. 22.
Parent taxa Juncaceae > Juncus > subg. Juncus Juncaceae > Juncus > subg. Graminifolii
Sibling taxa
J. acuminatus, J. acutiflorus, 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. 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
J. acutus subsp. leopoldii
Synonyms J. aristulatus, J. aristulatus var. pinetorum, J. biflorus, J. longii, J. marginatus var. aristulatus, J. marginatus var. biflorus, J. marginatus var. odoratus, J. marginatus var. paucicapitatus, J. marginatus var. setosus, J. marginatus var. vulgaris, J. odoratus, J. setosus
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 325. (1753) Rostkovius: de Junco 38, plate 2, fig. 3. (1801)
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