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small-head rush

prairie rush, slender juncus, western rush

Habit Herbs, perennial, cespitose, 2–7 dm. Herbs, perennial, cespitose, 3–6 dm.
Rhizomes

densely branching.

Culms

erect, 1–4 mm diam., smooth.

few–20.

Cataphylls

1–2, straw-colored to pink, 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–)2–3;

auricles 0.5–1(–1.5) mm, apex acutish, membranous;

blade flat, 5–15 cm × 0.5–1.3 mm, margins entire.

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.

5–50-flowered, somewhat loose, 1–7 cm;

primary bract usually longer than inflorescence.

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.

bracteoles 2;

tepals greenish, lanceolate, (3.5–)5 mm;

outer and inner series nearly equal;

stamens 6, filaments 0.5–1 mm, anthers 0.1–0.3 mm;

style 0.1–0.2 mm.

Capsules

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

light brown, 1-locular to pseudo-3-locular, ellipsoid, (3–)5–4.5 × 1.2–1.8 mm, nearly equal to shorter than tepals.

Seeds

ellipsoid to fusiform, 0.8–1.2 mm, tailed;

body covered with whitish translucent veil.

tan, ellipsoid to lunate, 5.5–0.7 mm, not tailed.

2n

= 80.

= 80.

Juncus brachycephalus

Juncus occidentalis

Phenology Fruiting summer–early fall. Flowering spring–early summer.
Habitat Calcareous marshes, wet meadows, and wetland shores Moist, usually exposed sites in clayey or sandy soil around springs, along rivers and streams, and around lakes
Elevation 100–200 m (300–700 ft) below 2300 m (below 7500 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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[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; ID; NV; OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Juncus occidentalis should perhaps be considered a robust variant of J. tenuis.

(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. Poiophylli
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. 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. 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 J. tenuis var. occidentalis, J. tenuis var. congestus
Name authority (Engelmann) Buchenau: Botanische Jahrbucher fur Systematik, Pflanzengeschichte und Pflanzengeographie 12: 268. (1890) (Coville) Wiegand: Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 27: 521. (1900)
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