FNA: Juncus acutus vs. Juncus texanus

	Juncus acutus	Juncus texanus
	sharp rush, spiny rush	Texas rush
Habit		Herbs, perennial, rhizomatous, 2.5–6 dm.
Rhizomes		1 mm diam., with swollen nodes.
Culms		erect, terete, 1–3 mm diam., smooth.
Cataphylls		0 or 1–2, straw-colored, apex rounded.
Leaves		basal 0–1, cauline 3–5, auricles 1.5–2.5 mm, apex rounded to acutae, scarious; blade straw-colored to green, terete, 5.5–20 cm × 1–2.5 mm.
Inflorescences		terminal panicles of 2–16 heads, 2.5–6 cm, branches ascending, spreading, or reflexed; primary bract erect to spreading; heads 10–40-flowered, spheric, 11–15 mm diam.
Flowers		tepals green or straw-colored to reddish brown, lance-subulate, apex acuminate; outer tepals (3.5–)4–4.9 mm; inner tepals 3.9–5.4 mm; stamens 6, anthers 2–3 times filament length.
Capsules		exserted, chestnut brown, 1-locular, lance-subulate, 5.2–6.5(–8) mm, apex tapering, valves separating at dehiscence, fertile throughout or only proximal to middle.
Seeds		obovoid, 0.45–0.5 mm, not tailed; body clear yellow-brown.

	Juncus acutus	Juncus texanus
Phenology		Fruiting summer.
Habitat		Swamps, depressions, seeps, sand or gravel bars, and wet mud
Elevation		400–600 m (1300–2000 ft)
Distribution	AZ; CA; NV; South America; Mexico (Baja Calif); South Africa; Atlantic Islands [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	LA; OK; TX [BONAP county map]
Discussion	Subspecies 2 (1 in the flora). (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. 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. 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. nodosus var. texanus
Name authority	Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 325. (1753)	(Engelmann) Coville: in J. K. Small, Flora of the Southeastern United States 259. (1903)
Web links	Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	Local Web sites: LA Plants WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Juncus acutus

Juncus texanus

sharp rush, spiny rush

Texas rush

Habit

Herbs, perennial, rhizomatous, 2.5–6 dm.

Rhizomes

1 mm diam., with swollen nodes.

Culms

erect, terete, 1–3 mm diam., smooth.

Cataphylls

0 or 1–2, straw-colored, apex rounded.

Leaves

basal 0–1, cauline 3–5, auricles 1.5–2.5 mm, apex rounded to acutae, scarious;

blade straw-colored to green, terete, 5.5–20 cm × 1–2.5 mm.

Inflorescences

terminal panicles of 2–16 heads, 2.5–6 cm, branches ascending, spreading, or reflexed;

primary bract erect to spreading;

heads 10–40-flowered, spheric, 11–15 mm diam.

Flowers

tepals green or straw-colored to reddish brown, lance-subulate, apex acuminate;

outer tepals (3.5–)4–4.9 mm;

inner tepals 3.9–5.4 mm;

stamens 6, anthers 2–3 times filament length.

Capsules

exserted, chestnut brown, 1-locular, lance-subulate, 5.2–6.5(–8) mm, apex tapering, valves separating at dehiscence, fertile throughout or only proximal to middle.

Seeds

obovoid, 0.45–0.5 mm, not tailed;

body clear yellow-brown.

Juncus acutus

Juncus texanus

Phenology

Fruiting summer.

Habitat

Swamps, depressions, seeps, sand or gravel bars, and wet mud

Elevation

400–600 m (1300–2000 ft)

Distribution

AZ; CA; NV; South America; Mexico (Baja Calif); South Africa; Atlantic Islands

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

LA; OK; TX

[BONAP county map]

Discussion

Subspecies 2 (1 in the flora).

(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. 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. 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. nodosus var. texanus

Name authority

Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 325. (1753)

(Engelmann) Coville: in J. K. Small, Flora of the Southeastern United States 259. (1903)

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).

Choose a data source: Flora of North America

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Flora of North America species comparison

Juncus acutus

Juncus texanus

Juncus acutus

Juncus texanus