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weak rush

creeping rush, lesser creeping rush

Habit Herbs, perennial, cespitose, 1–2.5 dm. Herbs, perennial, cespitose, floriferous culm 0.5–3 dm.
Culms

erect, terete, 1–2 mm diam., smooth.

first ascending, soon arcuate-stoloniferous and creeping or floating, or growing submersed along bottom, each node with cluster of basal leaves and fibrous roots, eventually each emergent terrestrial node with floriferous culm.

Cataphylls

0–1, maroon or dark green, apex acute.

Leaves

basal 0–1, cauline 1–3;

auricles 1–1.5 mm, apex rounded, scarious;

blade maroon or dark green, terete, 1–12.5 cm × 0.5–1.5 mm.

basal;

auricles 0.5–1 mm, apex acutish, membranous or thicker;

blade spreading, flat, 2–10(–15) cm × 1–3 mm.

Inflorescences

terminal panicles of 3–50 heads, 2–8 cm, branches ascending to spreading;

primary bract erect;

heads 2–10-flowered, obpyramidal, 2–5 mm diam.

glomerules, (1–)2–10, each with 3–12 flowers, open;

primary bract usually shorter than inflorescence.

Flowers

tepals green to straw-colored, lanceolate, 1.8–2.3(–2.5) mm, apex sharply acuminate;

stamens 3, 1/2 filament length.

tepals green, margins scarious;

inner series narrowly lanceolate, 5–9 mm, apex usually recurved;

outer series obviously shorter, apex usually erect;

stamens 3, filaments 1.5–3 mm, anthers 0.5–0.8 mm;

style 0.5 mm.

Capsules

exserted, straw-colored, 1-locular, narrowly ellipsoid to lanceoloid, 2.8–3.7 7(–4.2) mm, apex acute, valves separating at dehiscence.

tan, 3-locular, narrowly ellipsoid, 3.5–5.5 × 0.8–1.2 mm.

Seeds

ellipsoid, 0.3–0.4 mm, not tailed;

body clear yellow-brown.

brown, ovoid, 0.3–0.4 mm, not tailed.

Juncus debilis

Juncus repens

Phenology Fruiting summer. Flowering and fruiting summer–fall.
Habitat Marshy shores, in small streams, swamps, wet clearings, spring runs, commonly in very soft mucky substrates Shores of ponds, lakes, and borrow pits, flatwood depressions, ditches, and drainage canals
Elevation 0–700 m (0–2300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; DE; FL; GA; IL; KY; LA; MD; MO; MS; NC; NJ; NY; PA; SC; TN; TX; VA; Mexicos (Chiapas); Central America (Honduras)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; DE; FL; GA; LA; MD; MS; NC; OK; SC; TN; TX; VA; Mexico (Tabasco); West Indies (Cuba)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Juncus debilis A. Gray is a name being proposed for conservation.

(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. Graminifolii
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. capitatus, J. castaneus, J. chlorocephalus, J. compressus, J. confusus, J. cooperi, J. coriaceus, J. covillei, 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. 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. acuminatus var. debilis, J. radicans
Name authority A. Gray: Manual 481506. (1848) Michaux: Flora Boreali-Americana 1: 191. (1803)
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