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capitate rush, dwarf rush, leafy-bract dwarf rush

Canada rush, Canadian rush

Habit Herbs, annual, cespitose, 0.3–1 dm. Herbs, perennial, cespitose, 3–10 dm.
Culms

to 20.

erect, 1–5 mm diam., smooth.

Cataphylls

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

Leaves

basal;

auricles absent;

blade 0.5–2.5 cm × 0.5 mm.

basal 1, cauline 2–3;

auricles 1–1.2 mm, apex rounded, scarious;

blade terete, 7–22 cm × 1.2–3 mm.

Inflorescences

glomerules 1–2, each with 2–10(–14) flowers;

bracts subtending inflorescence 1(–2), foliose, clearly surpassing inflorescence.

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 6, tan to brownish, subulate, lanceolate-ovate, 3.5–4.5(–5) mm, 2 times length of inner tepals, margins scarious;

inner series delicate, shorter, apex acute;

stamens 3, filaments 1 mm, anthers 0.5 mm;

style 0.4–0.7 mm.

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

tan to reddish brown, 3-locular, globose to obovoid, 1.2–1.7 mm, shorter than tepals.

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

Seeds

ellipsoid-ovoid, 0.3–0.4 mm.

fusiform, 1.1–1.9 mm, tailed;

body covered with whitish translucent veil.

2n

= 18.

= 80.

Juncus capitatus

Juncus canadensis

Phenology Flowering and fruiting spring. Fruiting mid summer–fall.
Habitat Moist to wet areas, usually in sandy, often disturbed soil such as roadsides or along trails Salt, brackish, and calcareous marshes, acid bogs, roadsides, tidal flats, swamps, patterned fen, lake shores, beaches
Elevation below 1000 m (below 3300 ft) 0–200 m (0–700 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; LA; OK; TX; native; Africa (north); Europe; Asia (Near East) [Introduced in North America]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
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]
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. FNA vol. 22.
Parent taxa Juncaceae > Juncus > subg. Graminifolii 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. canadensis, J. capillaris, 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. 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 Weigel: Observ. Bot. 28. (1772) J. Gay ex Laharpe: in J. J. C. de Laharpe, Essai Monogr. Jonc. 46. (1825)
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