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capitate rush, dwarf rush, leafy-bract dwarf rush

needlepod rush, scirpuslike rush

Habit Herbs, annual, cespitose, 0.3–1 dm. Herbs, perennial, rhizomatous, tosometimes nearly cespitose, 0.8–7 dm.
Rhizomes

usually tuberous, 2–4 mm diam.

Culms

to 20.

erect, terete, 1–3 mm diam., smooth.

Cataphylls

0–1.

Leaves

basal;

auricles absent;

blade 0.5–2.5 cm × 0.5 mm.

basal 1–2, cauline 2–3, green;

auricles 1–2 mm, apex rounded, membranaceous;

blade terete, 2–23 cm × 1–2 mm, distal cauline leaf blade 1.6–26 cm, equaling or longer than sheath.

Inflorescences

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

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

terminal panicles of 1–23(–32) heads, 2.5–9 cm, branches ascending to erect;

primary bracts erect;

heads 20–60-flowered, spheric or usually lobed, 6–11 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 to straw-colored, lance-subulate, 2–3.5 mm, nearly equal, apex acuminate;

stamens 3, anthers 1/3 filament length.

Capsules

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

exserted, straw-colored, 1-locular, lance-subulate, 3–4 mm, apex tapering, remaining attached at tip, valves not separating at dehiscence, fertile throughout or only proximal to middle.

Seeds

ellipsoid-ovoid, 0.3–0.4 mm.

oblong, 0.4 mm, not tailed;

body clear yellow-brown.

2n

= 18.

Juncus capitatus

Juncus scirpoides

Phenology Flowering and fruiting spring. Fruiting early summer–fall.
Habitat Moist to wet areas, usually in sandy, often disturbed soil such as roadsides or along trails Wet sandy soil, salt marshes, lake shores, ditches, meadows, wet woods
Elevation below 1000 m (below 3300 ft) 0–1400 m (0–4600 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; DC; DE; FL; GA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MD; MI; MO; MS; NC; NE; NJ; NY; OK; PA; SC; TN; TX; WV; Va
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
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. 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. 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. echinatus, J. scirpoides var. compositus, J. scirpoides var. genuinus, J. scirpoides var. macrostemon, J. scirpoides var. meridionalis
Name authority Weigel: Observ. Bot. 28. (1772) Lamarck: in J. Lamarck et al., Encycl. 3: 267. (1789)
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