Juncus bufonius |
Juncaceae |
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common toad rush, toad rush |
rush family |
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Habit | Herbs, annual, cespitose, 0.5–4 dm. | Herbs, perennial, occasionally annual, usually rhizomatous, orsometimes cespitose. |
Culms | 1–many, occasionally becoming decumbent. |
round or flat. |
Cataphylls | 0–2. |
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Leaves | basal and cauline; auricles rudimentary or absent; blade flat, 3–13 cm × 0.3–1.1 mm. |
mostly basal; sheath margins fused or overlapping, often with 2 earlike extensions (auricles) at blade junction; blade flat or round, glabrous or margins hairy. |
Inflorescences | loose and diffuse or less often compact, usually at least ½1/2 total height of plant; primary bract shorter than inflorescence. |
of headlike clusters or single flowers variously arranged; bracts subtending inflorescence 1 or more2, mostly leaflike; bracts subtending inflorescence branches 1–2, reduced; bracteoles subtending solitary flower 0–2, translucent, reduced. |
Flowers | bracteoles 2; tepals greenish, lanceolate, 3.8–7(–8.5) mm; inner series slightly shorter, apex sometimes obtuse; stamens 3–6, filaments (0.7–)1–1.8 mm, anthers 0.3–0.8 mm; style 0.1–0.2 mm. |
usually bisexual, radially symmetric; sepals and petals similar, persistent, green to brown or purplish black; stamens usually 3 or 6; anthers persistent, linear; pistils 1; ovaries superior, locules 1 or 3, placentas 1 and basal or 3 and axile or parietal; stigmas generally longer than styles. |
Fruits | capsules, loculicidal. |
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Capsules | tan to reddish brown, 3-locular, ellipsoid to narrowly so, slightly truncate, 2.7–4 × 1–1.5 mm, sometimes exceeding inner tepals but usually not outer series. |
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Seeds | yellowish, widely ellipsoid to ovoid, 0.26–0.49, not tailed. |
3–many, often with white appendages on 1 or both ends. |
2n | = 27–37, 58–81, 108–115. |
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Juncus bufonius |
Juncaceae |
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Phenology | Flowering and fruiting spring–early fall. | |
Habitat | Moist soils in meadows, along lakeshores or stream banks, ditches, or roadsides, especially frequent in drawdown areas, usually in open sites and often becoming weedy | |
Distribution |
AK; AL; AR; AZ; CA; CO; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; MT; NC; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NM; NV; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; UT; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NL; NS; NT; ON; PE; QC; SK; YT; Greenland; nearly worldwide
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Arctic and temperate regions; tropical mountains |
Discussion | Nearly worldwide, Juncus bufonius is found essentially throughout North America except north of the Alaskan and Canadian tTaiga. Juncus bufonius is a highly polymorphic complex that is poorly understood systematically. Insufficient evidence exists upon which to base the segregation of the plethora of taxa that have been recognized out of this group in the past. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Genera 9, species ca. 350 (2 genera, 1108 species in the flora). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Key | ||
Source | FNA vol. 22. | FNA vol. 22, p. 211. |
Parent taxa | Juncaceae > Juncus > subg. Poiophylli | |
Sibling taxa | ||
Subordinate taxa | ||
Synonyms | J. bufonius var. congestus, J. bufonius var. halophilus, J. bufonius var. hybridus, J. bufonius var. occidentalis, J. bufonius var. ranarius, J. congestus, J. ranarius | |
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 328. (1753) | A. L. Jussieu |
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