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arctic rush

Lesueur's rush, salt rush

Habit Herbs, perennial, 2–10 dm. Herbs, perennial, 3–14 dm.
Rhizomes

long- creeping.

long- creeping.

Culms

erect, 1–3 mm diam.

erect, 1–3 mm diam.

Cataphylls

several.

several.

Leaves

blade usually absent (present in var. mexicanus).

blade absent.

Inflorescences

lateral, 3–many-flowered, loose to congested;

primary bract barely exceeding to many times longer than inflorescence.

lateral, 3–many-flowered, mostly loose;

primary bract much longer than inflorescence.

Flowers

variously pedicellate;

bracteoles membranous;

tepals chestnut brown or paler, lanceolate, (2.5–)3.3–5.5(–6) mm, margins clear;

inner series loosely subtending capsule at maturity; usually slightly shorter, margins scarious to clear, apex acutish to obtuse;

stamens 6, filaments 0.2–1.1 mm, anthers 0.9–2.2 mm;

style 0.9–1.5 mm.

variously pedicellate;

bracteoles membranous;

tepals green, lanceolate, 5–8 mm, margins brown;

inner series loosely subtending capsule at maturity, usually slightly shorter, margins scarious to clear, acutish;

stamens 6, filaments 0.2–1.1 mm, anthers 0.9–2.3 mm;

style 1–1.5 mm.

Capsules

3-locular or infrequently pseudo-3-locular, oblate to narrowly ovoid, 3.5–4(–4.5) mm, equal to or exceeding perianth.

3-locular, oblate to narrowly ovoid, 4–7 mm, shorter than or nearly equal to perianth.

Seeds

dark amber, oblate to ellipsoid, 0.6–0.8 mm.

dark amber, oblate to ellipsoid, 0.4–0.7 mm.

Juncus arcticus

Juncus lesueurii

Phenology Flowering and fruiting summer.
Habitat Borders of salt or freshwater marshes and usually near dunes along the coast
Elevation 0–500 m (0–1600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; AR; AZ; CA; CO; DE; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MT; ND; NE; NH; NM; NV; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; SD; TX; UT; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NS; NT; NU; ON; PE; QC; SK; YT; Mexico; South America; Asia
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; OR; WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
Discussion

Numerous entities have been circumscribed and recognized at various nomenclatural ranks by a plethora of authors addressing state or regional floras. In considering the Juncus arcticus-balticus complex as a whole in North America, one is soon confronted with a wide-ranging and obviously polymorphic complex that has not read the literature. It is abundantly clear that the systematics of the group will not be solved on the basis of morphology alone and that resolution of the problem is ripe for molecular investigations.

Varieties 3 7 (3 in the flora).

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

Key
1. Anthers about as long as filaments; blades absent
var. alaskanus
1. Anthers at least 2 times as long as filaments.
→ 2
2. Blade-bearing leaves absent
var. balticus
2. Distal 1 or 2 leaves with obvious blade
var. mexicanus
Source FNA vol. 22. FNA vol. 22.
Parent taxa Juncaceae > Juncus > subg. Genuini Juncaceae > Juncus > subg. Genuini
Sibling taxa
J. acuminatus, J. acutiflorus, J. acutus, J. alpinoarticulatus, J. anthelatus, 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
J. arcticus var. alaskanus, J. arcticus var. balticus, J. arcticus var. mexicanus
Synonyms J. balticus subsp. pacificus, J. lesueurii var. tracyi
Name authority Willdenow: Sp. Pl. 2: 206. (1799) Bolander: Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 2: 179. 1863 (as leseurii)
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