Juncus bufonius |
Juncus castaneus |
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common toad rush, toad rush |
chestnut rush |
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Habit | Herbs, annual, cespitose, 0.5–4 dm. | Herbs, perennial, strongly rhizomatous, 1–4 dm. |
Culms | 1–many, occasionally becoming decumbent. |
solitary, 1–2 mm diam. |
Cataphylls | 0–2. |
1–2. |
Leaves | basal and cauline; auricles rudimentary or absent; blade flat, 3–13 cm × 0.3–1.1 mm. |
partially cauline, 3–5, auricles absent distally, rounded proximally; blade channeled, to 20 cm, reduced distally. |
Inflorescences | loose and diffuse or less often compact, usually at least ½1/2 total height of plant; primary bract shorter than inflorescence. |
glomerules, 1–3(–5), each with 2–10 flowers; peduncles 0.4–1.5 cm; primary bracts somewhat inflated, usually surpassing inflorescence. |
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. |
bracteoles absent; tepals brown or occasionally paler, lanceolate, 4.5–6.6 mm, apex acute to obtuse; inner series slightly shorter; stamens 6, filaments 2.5–3.5 mm, anthers 0.6–1.3 mm; style 1–1.3 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. |
chestnut brown, 3-locular, narrowly oblong, 6.5–8.5 × 1.8–2.3 mm. |
Seeds | yellowish, widely ellipsoid to ovoid, 0.26–0.49, not tailed. |
pale yellow, fusiform, body 0.6–0.7 mm, tails 0.8–1.1 mm. |
2n | = 27–37, 58–81, 108–115. |
= 60, 90, 120. |
Juncus bufonius |
Juncus castaneus |
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Phenology | Flowering and fruiting spring–early fall. | Flowering and fruiting late spring–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 | Tundra, subalpine and alpine bogs and meadows, and along streams in gravelly or clayey soils |
Elevation | 10–3700 m (0–12100 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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AK; CO; MT; NM; NV; UT; WY; AB; BC; LB; MB; NT; NU; ON; QC; SK; YT; Greenland; Europe; Asia |
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.) |
In southern Alaska some plants with several many-flowered heads and capsules about double the length of the perianth have been referred to the Asian Juncus castaneus subsp. leucochlamys. The distinction, however, seems dubious without further investigation. (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. Alpini |
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. castaneus var. pallidus, J. castaneus subsp. leucochlamys, J. leucochlamys |
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 328. (1753) | Smith: Fl. Brit. 1: 383. (1800) |
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