Flora of North America species comparison

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Juncus acutus

Juncus phaeocephalus

sharp rush, spiny rush

brown-head rush
Habit Herbs, perennial, rhizomatous, 2–9 dm.
Rhizomes

2–3 mm diam.
Culms

erect, 2–5 mm diam.
Cataphylls

2, chestnut brown, apex acute.
Leaves

basal 2, cauline 1–2, light green;

auricles absent;

blade 1–15 cm × 2–5 mm.
Inflorescences

panicles of (2–)10–77 heads, 2–9.5 cm with ascending to erect branches, or heads solitary;

primary bract erect;

heads 3–35-flowered, spheric to obovoid, 0.5–1.2 mm diam.
Flowers

tepals dark brown to purplish brown, lanceolate, 3.3–4.8 mm, nearly equal;

outer tepals acuminate, mucro subulate;

inner tepals acuminate or cuspidate, mucro subulate;

stamens 6, anthers 2–3 times length of filaments.
Capsules

included, chestnut brown or straw-colored, 1-locular, oblong, 3.8–5.6 mm (including beak), apex acute proximal to beak, beak slightly exserted.
Seeds

obovoid, 0.5–0.6 mm, not tailed.

Juncus acutus

Juncus phaeocephalus
Phenology Fruiting summer.
Habitat Meadows and borders of swamps
Elevation 100–300 m (300–1000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; NV; South America; Mexico (Baja Calif); South Africa; Atlantic Islands
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; OR; WA; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Subspecies 2 (1 in the flora).

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

Plants with more than 10 heads of 3–12 flowers have been separated as Juncus phaeocephalus var. paniculatus Engelmann. This variety is very similar to the neext species (Juncus macrandrus) and is probably better treated as part of that species. Until a more thorough study has been made of the entire subgenus, we are hesitant to make such a transfer.

(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. Ensifolii
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. nevadensis, J. nodatus, J. nodosus, J. occidentalis, J. orthophyllus, J. oxymeris, J. parryi, J. patens, J. pelocarpus, J. pervetus, 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. phaeocephalus var. paniculatus
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 325. (1753) Engelmann
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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