Juncus alpinoarticulatus |
Juncus inflexus |
|
---|---|---|
alpine rush, northern green rush, northern rush |
blue rush, European blue rush, European Meadow rush |
|
Habit | Herbs, perennial, rhizomatous, 0.5–5 dm. | Herbs, perennial, cespitose, stooling, 4–10 (–12) dm. |
Rhizomes | 2–4 mm diam., not swollen. |
3–5 mm diam. |
Culms | erect, terete, 1–3 mm diam., smooth. |
terete, 1.5–3 mm diam. |
Cataphylls | 0–1, straw-colored or maroon, apex acute. |
several. |
Leaves | basal 0–2, cauline 1–2(–5); auricles 0.5–1.2 mm, apex rounded, scarious; blade green to straw-colored, terete, 1.5–12 cm × 0.5–1.1 mm. |
blade absent. |
Inflorescences | terminal panicles of 5–25 heads, 3–11 cm, branches erect to ascending; primary bract erect; heads 2–10-flowered, obpyramidal, usually with some flowers short- pedicellateled, 2–6 mm in diam. |
many flowered, open, 2–7 cm; primary bract terete, 10–25 cm. |
Flowers | tepals greenish to straw-colored, lanceolate to oblong; outer tepals 1.8–3 mm, apex obtuse, mucronate; inner tepals 1.6–2.7 mm, apex obtuse; stamens 6, anthers 1/2 filament length. |
pedicellate; bracteoles ovate; tepals straw-colored to reddish brown, lanceolate, 2.7–3.5 mm, margins scarious; inner series loosely subtending capsule at maturity, shorter; stamens 6, filaments 0.8–1.5 mm, anthers 0.8–1 mm; style 0.3 mm. |
Capsules | equaling perianth to usually exserted, chestnut brown to straw-colored, imperfectly 3-locular, oblong to oblong-ovoid, 2.3–3.5 mm, apex obtuse, valves separating at dehiscence. |
reddish brown to chestnut brown, 3-locular, 3-gonous-ovoid to widely ellipsoid, 3–4 mm, exceeding perianth. |
Seeds | oblong to ovoid, 0.5–0.7 mm, not tailed. |
amber, obovoid, 0.3–0.5 mm, not tailed. |
2n | = 40. |
= 20, 38, 40. |
Juncus alpinoarticulatus |
Juncus inflexus |
|
Phenology | Fruiting mid summer–fall. | Flowering and fruiting summer. |
Habitat | Wet meadows, sandy and gravelly, often calcareous shores, fens, and clayey pools over rock | Wet soils along streams, ditches, and on wet, sandy and peaty hillsides |
Elevation | 0–2600 m (0–8500 ft) | |
Distribution |
AK; CO; IA; ID; IL; IN; ME; MI; MN; MO; MT; ND; NE; NY; OH; PA; SD; UT; VT; WA; WI; AB; BC; MB; NB; NL; NS; NT; ON; PE; QC; SK; YT; Greenland; ; Eurasia
|
MI; NY; PA; VA; ON; Europe; Asia; Africa [Introduced in North America] |
Discussion | Several attempts have been made to separate subspecies or varieties of this widespread and variable species. In one study, five varieties were recognized, with four in North America (B. Lindquist 1932) . In another, at least six subspecies were recognized with two in North America (L. Hämet-Ahti 1986). The variation we.have encountered does not fit nicely into the subspecies Hämet-Ahti has recognized, and until a full account of the variation throughout the range of the species is presented, we are not recognizing subspecific or varietal divisions of this species. Recent evidence suggests that this species may be one of the parents of the tetraploid Juncus articulatus. Juncus alpinus hybridizes with J. brevicaudatus (= J. × gracilescens J. Hermann), J. articulatus (= J. × alpiniformis Fernald), J. nodosus (= J. × nodosiformis Fernald), and J. torreyi (= JuncusJ. ×stuckeyi Reinking). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
|
Source | FNA vol. 22, p. 254. | FNA vol. 22. |
Parent taxa | Juncaceae > Juncus > subg. Septati | Juncaceae > Juncus > subg. Genuini |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | J. alpinus, J.. alpinoarticulatus subsp. americanus, J.. alpinoarticulatus subsp. fuscescens, J.. alpinus var. americanus, J.. alpinus, J.. alpinus var. fuscescens, J.. alpinus var. insignis, J.. alpinus subsp. nodulosus, J.. alpinus var. rariflorus, J.. nodulosus, J.. rariflorus, J.. richardsonianus | J. glaucus |
Name authority | Chaix: in D. Villars, Hist. Pl. Dauphiné 1: 378. (1786) | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 326. (1753) |
Web links |