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small-head rush

Elliott's rush

Habit Herbs, perennial, cespitose, 2–7 dm. Herbs, perennial, cespitose, 3–9 dm.
Roots

often with terminal tubers.

Culms

erect, 1–4 mm diam., smooth.

erect, terete, 1–3 mm diam., smooth.

Cataphylls

1–2, straw-colored to pink, apex acute.

1, maroon to brown, apex acute.

Leaves

basal 1–3, cauline 1–2;

auricles 0.6–1.5 mm, apex rounded, scarious;

blade terete to compressed, 0.2–12 cm × 0.5–2 mm.

basal 1–3, cauline 1–2;

auricles 0.5–2 mm, apex rounded, scarious;

blade green or maroon, compressed, 2–16 cm × 1–2 mm.

Inflorescences

panicles of 5–80 heads, 5–25 cm, branches ascending;

primary bract erect;

heads 2–6-flowered, ellipsoid to obovoid, 2–5 mm diam.

terminal panicles of 40–100(–200) heads, 4–16 cm, branches ascending to spreading;

primary bract erect to ascending;

heads 2–10-flowered, hemispheric to obpyramidal, 0.3–0.5 mm diam.

Flowers

tepals green to light brown, lanceolate;

outer tepals 1.8–2.5 mm, apex obtuse to nearly acute;

inner tepals 2–2.8 mm, apex obtuse to nearly acute;

stamens 3 or 6, anthers 1/2 filament length.

tepals straw-colored, lanceolate, apex acuminate;

outer tepals (2.2–)2.6–2.9 mm;

inner tepals (1.8–)2.4–2.8;

stamens 3, anthers 2/3 to equal filament length.

Capsules

exserted, chestnut to dark brown, imperfectly 3-locular, obconic, 2.4–3.8 mm, apex acute proximal to beak, valves separating at dehiscence.

exserted, chestnut brown, 1-locular, narrowly obpyriform to narrowly ovoid, 2.4–2.9 mm, apex acute, valves separating at dehiscence.

Seeds

ellipsoid to fusiform, 0.8–1.2 mm, tailed;

body covered with whitish translucent veil.

ellipsoid, 0.3–0.5 mm, not tailed;

body clearly yellow-brown.

, with faint ringlike bands at position of septa.

2n

= 80.

= 40.

Juncus brachycephalus

Juncus elliottii

Phenology Fruiting summer–early fall. Fruiting summer.
Habitat Calcareous marshes, wet meadows, and wetland shores Wet sands, peaty sands, or peat, exposed shores of ponds and lakes, depressions in savannas and flatwoods, moist to wet, much disturbed clearings, roadsides and ditches
Elevation 100–200 m (300–700 ft) 0–700 m (0–2300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; CO; CT; GA; IL; IN; MA; ME; MI; MN; NC; ND; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; TN; VA; VT; WI; WV; NB; NS; ON; QC;
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from FNA
AL; AR; DE; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; NJ; SC; TN; TX; VA
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Discussion

Juncus elliottii has tubers at the ends of the roots.

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

Source FNA vol. 22. FNA vol. 22.
Parent taxa Juncaceae > Juncus > subg. Septati Juncaceae > Juncus > subg. Septati
Sibling taxa
J. acuminatus, J. acutiflorus, J. acutus, J. alpinoarticulatus, J. anthelatus, J. arcticus, J. articulatus, J. biglumis, J. bolanderi, J. brachycarpus, 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. 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
Synonyms J. canadensis var. brachycephalus
Name authority (Engelmann) Buchenau: Botanische Jahrbucher fur Systematik, Pflanzengeschichte und Pflanzengeographie 12: 268. (1890) Chapman: Fl. South. U.S. 494. (1860)
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