Flora of North America species comparison

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Juncus canadensis

Juncus brevicaudatus

Canada rush, Canadian rush

narrow-panicle rush, short-tail rush
Habit Herbs, perennial, cespitose, 3–10 dm. Herbs, perennial, cespitose, 1.4–5.5(–7) dm.
Culms

erect, 1–5 mm diam., smooth.

erect, terete, 1–3 mm diam., smooth.
Cataphylls

0 or 1–2, straw-colored, apex rounded.

0–1, straw-colored to pink, apex acute.
Leaves

basal 1, cauline 2–3;

auricles 1–1.2 mm, apex rounded, scarious;

blade terete, 7–22 cm × 1.2–3 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

panicles or racemes of 3–50 heads, 2–20 cm, branches erect to ascending;

primary bract erect;

heads 5–50-flowered, obconic to spheric, 3–10 mm diam.

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

tepals green or straw-colored to reddish brown, lanceolate;

outer tepals 2.7–3.8 mm, apex acuminate;

inner tepals 2.9–4 mm, apex acuminate;

stamens 3(–6), anthers 1/2 filament length.

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

equaling perianth or exserted, chestnut brown, imperfectly 3-locular, lanceoloid, 3.3–4.5 mm, acute proximal to beak, valves separating at dehiscence.

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

fusiform, 1.1–1.9 mm, tailed;

body covered with whitish translucent veil.

fusiform, 0.7–1.2 mm, tailed;

body covered with whitish translucent veil.
2n

= 80.

= 80.

Juncus canadensis

Juncus brevicaudatus
Phenology Fruiting mid summer–fall. Fruiting mid summer–fall.
Habitat Salt, brackish, and calcareous marshes, acid bogs, roadsides, tidal flats, swamps, patterned fen, lake shores, beaches Generally in acidic or peaty moist sites, including emergent shorelines and aroundg hot springs
Elevation 0–200 m (0–700 ft) 100–2500 m (300–8200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; NC; NE; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OR; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; VA; VT; WI; WV; MB; NB; NF; NS; ON; PE; QC; SPM
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
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
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Two varieties and two forms occurring within the flora have been recognized (M. L. Fernald 1945b). Juncus canadensis var. sparsiflorus has stiffly erect inflorescence branches, and the flowers are generally longer than those of var. canadensis. These varieties simply serve to give name to parts of the broad morphologic range of variation encountered in J. canadensis and do not appear to represent any distinct biological entities.

Juncus canadensis and the following three species form a distinctive group: they have ve been variously treated as speecies (as here), varieties of J. canadensis, or as two species, J. canadensis and a polymorphic species, J. brachysephalus, encompassing the other three species (B. Boivin 1967–1979, part IV). Most of the species are easily recognized at their extremes but show a fair amount of overlap.

(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. Septati Juncaceae > Juncus > subg. Septati
Sibling taxa
J. acuminatus, J. acutiflorus, J. acutus, J. alpinoarticulatus, J. anthelatus, J. arcticus, J. articulatus, J. biglumis, J. bolanderi, J. brachycarpus, J. brachycephalus, J. brachyphyllus, J. brevicaudatus, J. bryoides, J. bufonius, J. bulbosus, J. caesariensis, J. capillaris, J. capitatus, J. castaneus, J. chlorocephalus, J. compressus, J. confusus, J. cooperi, J. coriaceus, J. covillei, J. debilis, J. dichotomus, J. diffusissimus, J. drummondii, J. dubius, J. dudleyi, J. effusus, J. elliottii, J. ensifolius, J. falcatus, J. filiformis, J. filipendulus, J. georgianus, J. gerardii, J. greenei, J. gymnocarpus, J. hallii, J. hemiendytus, J. howellii, J. inflexus, J. interior, J. kelloggii, J. leiospermus, J. lesueurii, J. longistylis, J. luciensis, J. macrandrus, J. macrophyllus, J. marginatus, J. maritimus, J. megacephalus, J. mertensianus, J. militaris, J. nevadensis, J. nodatus, J. nodosus, J. occidentalis, J. orthophyllus, J. oxymeris, J. parryi, J. patens, J. pelocarpus, J. pervetus, J. phaeocephalus, J. polycephalus, J. regelii, J. repens, J. roemerianus, J. scirpoides, J. secundus, J. squarrosus, J. stygius, J. subcaudatus, J. subtilis, J. supiniformis, J. tenuis, J. texanus, J. textilis, J. tiehmii, J. torreyi, J. trifidus, J. triformis, J. triglumis, J. trigonocarpus, J. uncialis, J. validus, J. vaseyi, J. xiphioides
J. acuminatus, J. acutiflorus, J. acutus, J. alpinoarticulatus, J. anthelatus, J. arcticus, J. articulatus, J. biglumis, J. bolanderi, J. brachycarpus, J. brachycephalus, J. brachyphyllus, J. bryoides, J. bufonius, J. bulbosus, J. caesariensis, J. canadensis, J. capillaris, J. capitatus, J. castaneus, J. chlorocephalus, J. compressus, J. confusus, J. cooperi, J. coriaceus, J. covillei, J. debilis, J. dichotomus, J. diffusissimus, J. drummondii, J. dubius, J. dudleyi, J. effusus, J. elliottii, J. ensifolius, J. falcatus, J. filiformis, J. filipendulus, J. georgianus, J. gerardii, J. greenei, J. gymnocarpus, J. hallii, J. hemiendytus, J. howellii, J. inflexus, J. interior, J. kelloggii, J. leiospermus, J. lesueurii, J. longistylis, J. luciensis, J. macrandrus, J. macrophyllus, J. marginatus, J. maritimus, J. megacephalus, J. mertensianus, J. militaris, J. nevadensis, J. nodatus, J. nodosus, J. occidentalis, J. orthophyllus, J. oxymeris, J. parryi, J. patens, J. pelocarpus, J. pervetus, J. phaeocephalus, J. polycephalus, J. regelii, J. repens, J. roemerianus, J. scirpoides, J. secundus, J. squarrosus, J. stygius, J. subcaudatus, J. subtilis, J. supiniformis, J. tenuis, J. texanus, J. textilis, J. tiehmii, J. torreyi, J. trifidus, J. triformis, J. triglumis, J. trigonocarpus, J. uncialis, J. validus, J. vaseyi, J. xiphioides
Synonyms J. canadensis var. longicaudatus, J. canadensis var. sparsiflorus, J. longicaudatus, J. polycephalus var. paradoxus J. canadensis var. brevicaudatus, J. canadensis var. coarctatus, J. canadensis var. kuntzei, J. coarctatus, J. kuntzei, J. tweedyi
Name authority J. Gay ex Laharpe: in J. J. C. de Laharpe, Essai Monogr. Jonc. 46. (1825) (Engelmann) Fernald: Rhodora 6: 35. (1904)
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Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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