Juncus bufonius |
Juncus validus |
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common toad rush, toad rush |
roundhead rush |
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Habit | Herbs, annual, cespitose, 0.5–4 dm. | Herbs, perennial, rhizomatous, sometimes to nearly cespitose, 4–10 dm. | ||||
Rhizomes | not tuberous, 2 mm diam. |
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Culms | 1–many, occasionally becoming decumbent. |
erect, terete, 3–5 mm diam., smooth. |
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Cataphylls | 0–2. |
0. |
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Leaves | basal and cauline; auricles rudimentary or absent; blade flat, 3–13 cm × 0.3–1.1 mm. |
basal 2–3(–6), cauline 1–4; auricles 1–3 mm, apex acute, membranaceous, absent on proximal leaves; blade green, laterally compressed, 9–70 cm × 2–6 mm. |
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Inflorescences | loose and diffuse or less often compact, usually at least ½1/2 total height of plant; primary bract shorter than inflorescence. |
terminal panicles of 10–30 heads, 10–30 cm, branches spreading; primary bract erect; heads 20–30-flowered, spheric, (10–)12–15 mm diam. |
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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 reddish, lance-subulate, 4–5 mm, apex acuminate; stamens 3, anthers 1/3–1/2 filament length. |
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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. |
exserted, straw-colored, 1-locular, subulate, 4–5,5 mm, tapering to subulate tip, valves separating or not at dehiscence; fertile throughout or only proximal to middle.. |
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Seeds | yellowish, widely ellipsoid to ovoid, 0.26–0.49, not tailed. |
broadly ellipsoid, 0.5–0.6 mm, not tailed; body clear yellow-brown. |
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2n | = 27–37, 58–81, 108–115. |
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Juncus bufonius |
Juncus validus |
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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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AL; AR; FL; GA; KS; LA; MO; MS; NC; OK; SC; TN; TX; VA
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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.) |
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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Key |
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Source | FNA vol. 22. | FNA vol. 22. | ||||
Parent taxa | Juncaceae > Juncus > subg. Poiophylli | Juncaceae > Juncus > subg. Septati | ||||
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 | J. crassifolius | ||||
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 328. (1753) | Coville: Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 22:305. (1895) | ||||
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