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Canada rush, Canadian rush

broadleaf rush, flat-leaf rush, New Zealand or flat-leaf rush, New Zealand rush

Habit Herbs, perennial, cespitose, 3–10 dm.
Culms

erect, 1–5 mm diam., smooth.

Cataphylls

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

Leaves

basal 1, cauline 2–3;

auricles 1–1.2 mm, apex rounded, scarious;

blade terete, 7–22 cm × 1.2–3 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.

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.

Capsules

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

Seeds

fusiform, 1.1–1.9 mm, tailed;

body covered with whitish translucent veil.

2n

= 80.

Juncus canadensis

Juncus planifolius

Phenology Fruiting mid summer–fall.
Habitat Salt, brackish, and calcareous marshes, acid bogs, roadsides, tidal flats, swamps, patterned fen, lake shores, beaches
Elevation 0–200 m (0–700 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 USDA
[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.)

Source FNA vol. 22.
Parent taxa 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. brevicaudatus, 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
Name authority J. Gay ex Laharpe: in J. J. C. de Laharpe, Essai Monogr. Jonc. 46. (1825)
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