Juncus brachycephalus |
Juncus phaeocephalus |
|
---|---|---|
small-head rush |
brown-head rush |
|
Habit | Herbs, perennial, cespitose, 2–7 dm. | Herbs, perennial, rhizomatous, 2–9 dm. |
Rhizomes | 2–3 mm diam. |
|
Culms | erect, 1–4 mm diam., smooth. |
erect, 2–5 mm diam. |
Cataphylls | 1–2, straw-colored to pink, apex acute. |
2, chestnut 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 2, cauline 1–2, light green; auricles absent; blade 1–15 cm × 2–5 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. |
panicles of (2–)10–77 heads, 2–9.5 cm with ascending to erect branches, or heads solitary; primary bract erect; heads 3–35-flowered, spheric to obovoid, 0.5–1.2 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 dark brown to purplish brown, lanceolate, 3.3–4.8 mm, nearly equal; outer tepals acuminate, mucro subulate; inner tepals acuminate or cuspidate, mucro subulate; stamens 6, anthers 2–3 times length of filaments. |
Capsules | exserted, chestnut to dark brown, imperfectly 3-locular, obconic, 2.4–3.8 mm, apex acute proximal to beak, valves separating at dehiscence. |
included, chestnut brown or straw-colored, 1-locular, oblong, 3.8–5.6 mm (including beak), apex acute proximal to beak, beak slightly exserted. |
Seeds | ellipsoid to fusiform, 0.8–1.2 mm, tailed; body covered with whitish translucent veil. |
obovoid, 0.5–0.6 mm, not tailed. |
2n | = 80. |
|
Juncus brachycephalus |
Juncus phaeocephalus |
|
Phenology | Fruiting summer–early fall. | Fruiting summer. |
Habitat | Calcareous marshes, wet meadows, and wetland shores | Meadows and borders of swamps |
Elevation | 100–200 m (300–700 ft) | 100–300 m (300–1000 ft) |
Distribution |
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;
|
CA; OR; WA; Mexico (Baja California)
|
Discussion | Plants with more than 10 heads of 3–12 flowers have been separated as Juncus phaeocephalus var. paniculatus Engelmann. This variety is very similar to the neext species (Juncus macrandrus) and is probably better treated as part of that species. Until a more thorough study has been made of the entire subgenus, we are hesitant to make such a transfer. (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. Ensifolii |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | J. canadensis var. brachycephalus | J. phaeocephalus var. paniculatus |
Name authority | (Engelmann) Buchenau: Botanische Jahrbucher fur Systematik, Pflanzengeschichte und Pflanzengeographie 12: 268. (1890) | Engelmann |
Web links |