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small-head rush

creeping rush, greater creeping rush, jonc délié

Habit Herbs, perennial, cespitose, 2–7 dm. Herbs, perennial, emergent, rhizomatous (forming mats to 5 dm), 0.5–1 dm.
Rhizomes

1 mm diam., nodes not swollen.

Culms

erect, 1–4 mm diam., smooth.

repent, floating or submersed, usually profusely branched, terete, 0.5–1 mm diam.

Cataphylls

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

absent.

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 1–5, cauline 1–4, small fascicles of short capillary leaves often on rhizomes and stems;

auricles 0.1–0.8 mm, apex acute, membranaceous;

blade terete, 1.6–3 cm × 0.1–0.3 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.

cymes, flowers 1–3 at 1–2 nodes, 1–4 cm, branches spreading to erect.

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 reddish, oblong;

outer tepals 1.8–2.8 mm, obtuse;

inner tepals 2.2–4.4 mm, obtuse;

stamens 6, anthers 3/4 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, ovoid to narrowly ovoid, 2.4–5 mm, apex acute proximal to beak, valves separating at dehiscence.

Seeds

ellipsoid to fusiform, 0.8–1.2 mm, tailed;

body covered with whitish translucent veil.

ovoid, 0.3–0.5 mm, not tailed;

body clear yellow-brown.

2n

= 80.

= 40.

Juncus brachycephalus

Juncus subtilis

Phenology Fruiting summer–early fall. Fruiting late summer–early fall.
Habitat Calcareous marshes, wet meadows, and wetland shores Muddy, sandy or gravelly shores, fens in decomposed peat, fine muds rich in humus, and submersed in brackish pools
Elevation 100–200 m (300–700 ft) 0–200 m (0–700 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;
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
ME; NB; NL; ON; QC; Greenland
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Flowers are rarely replaced by bulbils. Most Greenland collections are sterile.

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

Source FNA vol. 22. FNA vol. 22, p. 245.
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. 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. 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. uliginosus var. subtilis, J. pelocarpus var. subtilis, J. pelocarpus var. fluitans
Name authority (Engelmann) Buchenau: Botanische Jahrbucher fur Systematik, Pflanzengeschichte und Pflanzengeographie 12: 268. (1890) E. Meyer: Syn. Luzul. 31. (1823)
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