Juncus bufonius |
Juncus brevicaudatus |
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common toad rush, toad rush |
narrow-panicle rush, short-tail rush |
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Habit | Herbs, annual, cespitose, 0.5–4 dm. | Herbs, perennial, cespitose, 1.4–5.5(–7) dm. |
Culms | 1–many, occasionally becoming decumbent. |
erect, terete, 1–3 mm diam., smooth. |
Cataphylls | 0–2. |
0–1, straw-colored to pink, apex acute. |
Leaves | basal and cauline; auricles rudimentary or absent; blade flat, 3–13 cm × 0.3–1.1 mm. |
basal 1–3, cauline 1–2; auricles 0.5–3 mm, apex rounded to truncate, scarious; blade terete, 1.5–25 cm × 0.5–2.5 mm. |
Inflorescences | loose and diffuse or less often compact, usually at least ½1/2 total height of plant; primary bract shorter than inflorescence. |
terminal panicles or racemes of 2–35 heads, 1–12 cm, branches erect; primary bract erect; heads 2–8-flowered, ellipsoid to narrowly obconic, 2–9 mm diam. |
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. |
tepals green to light brown, lanceolate; outer tepals 2.3–3.1 mm, apex acuminate to rarely obtuse; inner tepals 2.5–3.2 mm, apex acuminate; stamens 3 (or 6), anthers 1/4–1/2 filament length. |
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. |
exserted, chestnut brown, imperfectly 3-locular, narrowly ellipsoid to prismatic, 3.2–4.8 mm, apex acute proximal to beak, valves separating at dehiscence. |
Seeds | yellowish, widely ellipsoid to ovoid, 0.26–0.49, not tailed. |
fusiform, 0.7–1.2 mm, tailed; body covered with whitish translucent veil. |
2n | = 27–37, 58–81, 108–115. |
= 80. |
Juncus bufonius |
Juncus brevicaudatus |
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Phenology | Flowering and fruiting spring–early fall. | Fruiting mid summer–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 | Generally in acidic or peaty moist sites, including emergent shorelines and aroundg hot springs |
Elevation | 100–2500 m (300–8200 ft) | |
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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AZ; CO; CT; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MT; NC; NH; NY; OR; PA; RI; TN; UT; VA; VT; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NL; NS; ON; PE; QC; SK
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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.) |
Populations from about around hot springs in the west have been separated as Juncus tweedyi Rydberg, but no morphologic distinction appears to exist between J. tweedyi and J. brevicaudatus. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 22. | FNA vol. 22. |
Parent taxa | Juncaceae > Juncus > subg. Poiophylli | Juncaceae > Juncus > subg. Septati |
Sibling 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 | J. canadensis var. brevicaudatus, J. canadensis var. coarctatus, J. canadensis var. kuntzei, J. coarctatus, J. kuntzei, J. tweedyi |
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 328. (1753) | (Engelmann) Fernald: Rhodora 6: 35. (1904) |
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