Flora of North America species comparison

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Juncus acutus

Juncus subtilis

sharp rush, spiny rush

creeping rush, greater creeping rush, jonc délié
Habit Herbs, perennial, emergent, rhizomatous (forming mats to 5 dm), 0.5–1 dm.
Rhizomes

1 mm diam., nodes not swollen.
Culms

repent, floating or submersed, usually profusely branched, terete, 0.5–1 mm diam.
Cataphylls

absent.
Leaves

basal 1–5, cauline 1–4, small fascicles of short capillary leaves often on rhizomes and stems;

auricles 0.1–0.8 mm, apex acute, membranaceous;

blade terete, 1.6–3 cm × 0.1–0.3 mm.
Inflorescences

cymes, flowers 1–3 at 1–2 nodes, 1–4 cm, branches spreading to erect.
Flowers

tepals reddish, oblong;

outer tepals 1.8–2.8 mm, obtuse;

inner tepals 2.2–4.4 mm, obtuse;

stamens 6, anthers 3/4 to equal filament length.
Capsules

exserted, chestnut brown, 1-locular, ovoid to narrowly ovoid, 2.4–5 mm, apex acute proximal to beak, valves separating at dehiscence.
Seeds

ovoid, 0.3–0.5 mm, not tailed;

body clear yellow-brown.
2n

= 40.

Juncus acutus

Juncus subtilis
Phenology Fruiting late summer–early fall.
Habitat Muddy, sandy or gravelly shores, fens in decomposed peat, fine muds rich in humus, and submersed in brackish pools
Elevation 0–200 m (0–700 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; NV; South America; Mexico (Baja Calif); South Africa; Atlantic Islands
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
ME; NB; NL; ON; QC; Greenland
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Subspecies 2 (1 in the flora).

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

Flowers are rarely replaced by bulbils. Most Greenland collections are sterile.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 22, p. 237. FNA vol. 22, p. 245.
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. 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. 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. uliginosus var. subtilis, J. pelocarpus var. subtilis, J. pelocarpus var. fluitans
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 325. (1753) E. Meyer: Syn. Luzul. 31. (1823)
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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