Juncus bufonius |
Juncus leiospermus |
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common toad rush, toad rush |
dwarf rush, red bluff dwarf rush, smooth-seed rush |
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Habit | Herbs, annual, cespitose, 0.5–4 dm. | Herbs, annual, cespitose, 0.2–1.2 dm. |
Culms | 1–many, occasionally becoming decumbent. |
to 100, (0.2–)0.4–0.8 mm diam.. |
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. |
1/3–3/4 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 clusters, each with 1–7 flowers; bracts subtending inflorescence 2–8, round to acutely ovate, inconspicuous, 0.7–2.4 mm, membranous. |
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 reddish to black, narrowly lanceolate to oblong, 2–4.6 × 0.5–1.4 mm; inner series usually slightly longer than outer, apex obtuse to acuminate; stamens 3, filaments 0.5–1.4 mm, anthers 1–3.2 mm; style persistent, 1.4–4 mm, stigma 1.3–4 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. |
reddish, 3-locular, globose to ellipsoid or oblong, 2–4.5 × 1–3 mm, nearly equal to sepals. |
Seeds | yellowish, widely ellipsoid to ovoid, 0.26–0.49, not tailed. |
ovoid, 0.35–0.45 mm. |
n | = 16. |
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2n | = 27–37, 58–81, 108–115. |
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Juncus bufonius |
Juncus leiospermus |
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Phenology | Flowering and fruiting spring–early fall. | Flowering and fruiting in spring. |
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 | Margins of vernal pools |
Elevation | 0–500 m (0–1600 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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CA
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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.) |
Plants from Butte and Calaveras Ccounties, California, tend to be smaller and consistently develop only one flower per culm; they may be recognized as Juncus leiospermus var. ahartii Ertter. Of conservation concern. (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 | J. leiospermus var. ahartii |
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 328. (1753) | F. J. Hermann: Leaflets of Western Botany 5: 113. (1948) |
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