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sharp rush, spiny rush

Nevada rush, Sierra rush

Habit Herbs, perennial, rhizomatous, 0.5–7 dm.
Rhizomes

1 mm diam., not swollen.

Culms

erect, terete, 1.5–3 mm diam., smooth.

Cataphylls

0–1, maroon or straw-colored, apex acute.

Leaves

basal 1–3, cauline 1–2;

auricles 1–3.2 mm, apex rounded to acute, membranaceous;

blade green, laterally flattened, 1.5–31 cm × 0.5–2.2 mm.

Inflorescences

terminal panicles of 2–11 heads, 2–18 cm, branches erect to spreading;

primary bract erect;

heads 3–11-flowered, hemispheric to obpyramidal (rarely nearly spheric), 5–14 mm diam.

Flowers

tepals dark brown to white, lanceolate, apex acute to acuminate, mucro subulate;

outer tepals 2.8–6.2 mm;

inner tepals 2.4–6 mm;

stamens 6, anthers 1–2 times filament length.

Capsules

included to slightly exserted, chestnut brown, ellipsoid, 2.3–3.7 mm, abruptly contracted to apex, apex acute proximal to beak, valves separating at dehiscence.

Seeds

ellipsoid, 0.4–0.5 mm, not tailed.

Juncus acutus

Juncus nevadensis

Phenology Fruiting early summer–fall.
Habitat Wet banks along margins of streams and lakes, marshes, bogs, sloughs, and wet or boggy prairies
Elevation 0–2600 m (0–8500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; NV; South America; Mexico (Baja Calif); South Africa; Atlantic Islands
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; ID; MT; NM; NV; OR; UT; WA; WY; AB; SK
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Subspecies 2 (1 in the flora).

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

This variable species has been divided into five separate taxa in the past (F. J. Hermann 1964; C. L. Hitchcock et al. 1955–1969, vol. 1), but more recently, most of the variants have not been separated (A. Cronquist et al. 1972+, vol. 6). The Oregon coastal endemic, Juncus nevadensis var. inventus L. F. Henderson) C. L. Hitchcock, is at one extreme of the variation, having only a single head, fairly dark brown tepals 3.5–4.5 mm, anthers only slightly longer than the filaments, and a distinct habitat. The J. mertensianus var. columbianus segregate, however, approaches var. inventus in number of heads, and the other characters are so highly variable in the complex, they cannot be used alone to separate this variety. Therefore, we are not recognizing any infraspecific taxa at this time.

(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. Septati
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. marginatus, J. maritimus, J. megacephalus, J. mertensianus, J. militaris, 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. badius, J. columbianus, J. mertensianuss subsp. gracilis, J. mertensianus var. badius, J. mertensianus var. columbianus, J. mertensianus var. gracilis, J. mertensianus var. suksdorfii, J. nevadensis var. badius, J. nevadensis var. columbianus, J. nevadensis var. inventus, J. phaeocephalus var. gracilis, J. suksdorfii, J. truncatus
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 325. (1753) S. Watson: Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 14: 303. (1879)
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