FNA: Juncus covillei var. covillei vs. Juncus subg. Graminifolii

Phenology

Flowering and fruiting summer–early fall.

Habitat

Wet areas along lakes, streams and rivers, especially on spray areas or occasionally flooded outcrops, coastal to low montane areas

Elevation

below 300 m (below 1000 ft)

Distribution

CA; ID; MT; OR; WA; BC; Asia (Japan); Pacific Islands (Kuriles)

North America and south temperate areas of the world

Discussion

The relationships of both the perennial and annual species in this subgenus are poorly understood as evidenced by the variety of opinions expressed in numerous floras. The need for a multidisciplinary investigation of this subgenus, including morphometric and chromosomal evaluations, became painfully obviously evident during the preparation of this manuscript.

Species ca. 25 (20 in the flora).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Key

1. Plants annual.	→ 2
1. Plants perennial.	→ 11
2. Proximal bracts foliose, clearly surpassing inflorescence; outer tepals acute, 2 times as long as delicate obtuse inner tepals	J. capitatus
2. All bracts commonly inconspicuous, membranous; inner and outer tepals similar in size and shape.	→ 3
3. Style and anthers more than 1 mm; culms to 13(–17) cm.	→ 4
3. Style and anthers less than 0.5(–0.8) mm; culms rarely to 6.5 cm.	→ 5
4. Culms capillary, 0.1–0.4 mm diam.; capsules usually shorter than perianth	J. triformis
4. Culms stouter, (0.2–)0.4–0.8 mm diam.; capsules usually nearly equal to tepals	J. leiospermus
5. Flowers mostly several per culm; bracts acute to acuminate.	→ 6
5. Flowers uniformly solitary; bracts acute to truncate or absent.	→ 9
6. Capsules usually shorter than perianth, greenish or tan	J. capillaris
6. Capsules usually nearly equal to or longer than perianth, brownish.	→ 7
7. Flowers 2-merous; capsules longer than tepals	J. tiehmii
7. Flowers usually 3-merous; capsules nearly equal to perianth.	→ 8
8. Flowers several per culm; capsules and tepals commonly turning dark reddish; seeds 0.4–0.5 mm	J. kelloggii
8. Flowers solitary; capsules and tepals commonly remaining pale yellow-green until seeds ripen; seeds 0.3–0.4 mm	J. luciensis
9. Tepals turning inward to enwrap shorter capsule at maturity, mostly less than 2.3 mm; flowers usually 3-merous; culms 0.1–0.2 mm diam.	J. bryoides
9. Tepals erect to recurved at maturity, nearly equal to or shorter than capsule; flowers 2- or 3-trimerous; culms usually more than 0.2 mm diam.	→ 10
10. Flowers 3-merous; bracts solitary, truncate, completely sheathing culm	J. uncialis
10. Flowers 2-merous; bracts 0–2, rounded to ovate, not sheathing culm	J. hemiendytus
11. Culms arcuate-stoloniferous and creeping or floating	J. repens
11. Culms erect, never rooting at nodes.	→ 12
12. Seeds not tailed.	→ 12
12. Seeds tailed.	→ 13
13. Auricles absent or essentially so; anthers 1–1.5 mm	J. regelii
13. Auricles 1–3 mm, rounded to acutish; anthers 1.8–2.6 mm	J. howellii
14. Culms borne in tufts, rhizomes poorly developed.	→ 15
14. Culms borne singly or in small groups along creeping rhizome.	→ 17
15. Stamens 6	J. macrophyllus
15. Stamens 3.	→ 16
16. Tepals staw-colored; capsules yellowish to light brown; glomerules mostly 1–5(–10) per culm	J. filipendulus
16. Tepals dark brown; capsules brown; glomerules more than 10 per culm	J. marginatus
17. Stamens 3	J. marginatus
17. Stamens 6.	→ 18
18. Auricles absent or rudimentary, less than 1 mm.	→ 19
18. Auricles rounded or acute, 1–3 mm.	→ 21
19. Anthers 1.6–2.4 mm	J. orthophyllus
19. Anthers 0.8–1.5 mm.	→ 20
20. Tepals 3–4 mm	J. covillei
20. Tepals 4.5–6 mm	J. falcatus
21. Tepals 3–4 mm	J. covillei
21. Tepals 5–6 mm.	→ 22
22. Tepals with broad clear margins	J. longistylis
22. Tepals without clear margins	J. orthophyllus