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dubius rush, mariposa rush, questionable rush

Elliott's rush

Habit Herbs, perennial, rhizomatous, 3–7.5 dm. Herbs, perennial, cespitose, 3–9 dm.
Roots

often with terminal tubers.

Rhizomes

2–3 mm diam., not swollen.

Culms

erect, terete, 2–4 mm diam., smooth or rugulose.

erect, terete, 1–3 mm diam., smooth.

Cataphylls

1–2, pink to straw-colored, apex acute.

1, maroon to brown, apex acute.

Leaves

basal 1–2, cauline 1–2;

auricles 1–4.9 mm, , apex rounded, membranaceous;

blade green to straw-colored, terete, 20–30 cm × 1.5–4 mm, rugulose or smooth.

basal 1–3, cauline 1–2;

auricles 0.5–2 mm, apex rounded, scarious;

blade green or maroon, compressed, 2–16 cm × 1–2 mm.

Inflorescences

terminal panicles of 25–66 heads, 7–13 cm, branches spreading;

primary bract erect;

heads 6–10-flowered, hemispheric to obovoid, 5–10 mm diam.

terminal panicles of 40–100(–200) heads, 4–16 cm, branches ascending to spreading;

primary bract erect to ascending;

heads 2–10-flowered, hemispheric to obpyramidal, 0.3–0.5 mm diam.

Flowers

tepals straw-colored to brown, lanceolate, apex acuminate;

outer tepals (2–)2.5–3.4 mm;

inner tepals (2–)2.6–3.6 mm;

stamens 6, anthers 1.5–2 times filament length.

tepals straw-colored, lanceolate, apex acuminate;

outer tepals (2.2–)2.6–2.9 mm;

inner tepals (1.8–)2.4–2.8;

stamens 3, anthers 2/3 to equal filament length.

Capsules

exserted, chestnut brown, 1-locular, subuloidsubulate, (2.4–)3–3.9 mm, apex tapering to subulate tip, valves separating at dehiscence.

exserted, chestnut brown, 1-locular, narrowly obpyriform to narrowly ovoid, 2.4–2.9 mm, apex acute, valves separating at dehiscence.

Seeds

obovoid, 0.3–0.4 mm, not tailed.

ellipsoid, 0.3–0.5 mm, not tailed;

body clearly yellow-brown.

, with faint ringlike bands at position of septa.

2n

= 40.

= 40.

Juncus dubius

Juncus elliottii

Phenology Fruiting early summer–late fall. Fruiting summer.
Habitat Montane meadows, riverbeds, canyons, aroyos Wet sands, peaty sands, or peat, exposed shores of ponds and lakes, depressions in savannas and flatwoods, moist to wet, much disturbed clearings, roadsides and ditches
Elevation 100–1600 m (300–5200 ft) 0–700 m (0–2300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; DE; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; NJ; SC; TN; TX; VA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Juncus dubius has rugulose stems and leaves throughout most of its range, but on the periphery (in Mariposa, San Diego, and Sonoma counties, California) the plants are smooth.

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

Juncus elliottii has tubers at the ends of the roots.

(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. 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. capitatus, J. castaneus, J. chlorocephalus, J. compressus, J. confusus, J. cooperi, J. coriaceus, J. covillei, J. debilis, J. dichotomus, J. diffusissimus, J. drummondii, 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. 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. rugulosus
Name authority Engelmann Chapman: Fl. South. U.S. 494. (1860)
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