Juncus bufonius |
Juncus bryoides |
|
---|---|---|
common toad rush, toad rush |
moss rush, mosslike dwarf rush |
|
Habit | Herbs, annual, cespitose, 0.5–4 dm. | Herbs, annual, cespitose, 0.03–0.25 dm. |
Culms | 1–many, occasionally becoming decumbent. |
to 150, 0.1–0.2 mm wide. |
Cataphylls | 0–2. |
|
Leaves | basal and cauline; auricles rudimentary or absent; blade flat, 3–13 cm × 0.3–1.1 mm. |
to 0.9 cm, 1/4–1 times height of plant. |
Inflorescences | loose and diffuse or less often compact, usually at least ½1/2 total height of plant; primary bract shorter than inflorescence. |
terminal solitary flowers; bracts subtending inflorescence (1–)2, ovate, inconspicuous, 0.3–0.9 mm, membranous, apex acute. |
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. |
3-merous; : tepals (4–)6(–8), turning inward to enwrap shorter capsule at maturity, chestnut brown to black, lanceolate to oblong, 1.2–2.3(–2.8) × 0.4–0.6 mm; ; outer and inner series nearly equal, acute to acuminate; stamens 3, filaments 0.3–0.6 mm, anthers 0.15–0.25 mm; style 0.1 mm, stigma 0.2–0.3 mm. |
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. |
pale reddish, 3-locular, ovoid to ellipsoid, 1–1.9 mm × 0.5–1 mm. |
Seeds | yellowish, widely ellipsoid to ovoid, 0.26–0.49, not tailed. |
ovoid to globose, 0.3–0.5 mm. |
2n | = 27–37, 58–81, 108–115. |
= ca. 38. |
Juncus bufonius |
Juncus bryoides |
|
Phenology | Flowering and fruiting spring–early fall. | Flowering and fruiting spring–mid summer. |
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 | Usually fine, sandy soil of washes, swales in meadows, and seepage areas on rock outcrops |
Elevation | 600–3600 m (2000–11800 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
|
CA; CO; ID; NV; OR; UT; Mexico
|
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.) |
|
Source | FNA vol. 22. | FNA vol. 22. |
Parent taxa | Juncaceae > Juncus > subg. Poiophylli | Juncaceae > Juncus > subg. Graminifolii |
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 | |
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 328. (1753) | F. J. Hermann: Leaflets of Western Botany 5: 117. (1948) |
Web links |
|