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common bog rush, common rush, common soft rush, pasture rush, soft or lamp rush, soft rush

Howell's rush

Habit Herbs, perennial, 4–13 dm. Herbs, perennial, 2–6 dm.
Rhizomes

short -branched, forming distinct, often large clumps.

long creeping.

Culms

erect, terete, 1–2.5 mm diam. at top of sheaths.

erect, slightly compressed, never rooting at nodes.

Cataphylls

several.

Leaves

blade absent.

basal 2–4, cauline 2–3;

auricles 1–3 mm, apex rounded to acutish, membranous;

blade flat, 10–30 cdm × 2–4 mm, reduced distally, margins occasionally papillose.

Inflorescences

lateral, compound dichasia, many flowered;

primary bract erect, terete, extending well beyond dichasium.

glomerules, usually 3–9, each with 3–8(–10) flowers, open, 2–9 cm;

primary bract much shorter than inflorescence.

Flowers

tepals tan or darker, usually with greenish midstripe, lanceolate, 1.9–3.5 mm;

inner slightly shorter;

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

style 0.2 mm.

tepals yellow-brown with green midstripe, lanceolate, 5–6.5 mm, margins clear;

outer and inner series nearly equal, adaxially papillose;

stamens 6, filaments 0.5–1 mm, anthers 1.8–2.6 mm;

style 0.6 mm.

Capsules

greenish tan or darker, 3-locular, broadly ellipsoid to oblate, 1.5–3.2 mm.

tan, 3-locular, obovoid, 3–5 mm, shorter than perianth.

Seeds

amber, (0.3–)0.4–0.5 mm.

ovoid, body 0.5–0.7 mm, tails 0.2–0.4 mm.

2n

= 40, 42.

Juncus effusus

Juncus howellii

Phenology Flowering summer, fruiting summer–fall. Flowering and fruiting summer.
Habitat Swamps and their edges, marshes, moist meadows, and moist or saturated soils, often conspicuous in pasture meadows where it is shunned by grazing animals Moist ground in mountain meadows
Elevation Habitat??; 0–2500 m (Habitat??; 0–8200 ft) 850–2500 m (2800–8200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; AL; AR; AZ; CA; CO; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; MT; NC; NE; NH; NJ; NV; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; TN; TX; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WV; BC; MB; NB; NF; NS; ON; PE; QC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; ID; OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

The Juncus effusus complex has been variously recognized as containing several species or a single species with numerous infraspecific taxa. Unfortunately, North American treatments have dealt primarily with taxa in either the eastern or western portions of the continent. In considering the continent as a whole, little sense can be made of these treatments. The North American J. effusus complex is one that is in obvious need of modern systematic scrutiny.

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

Source FNA vol. 22. FNA vol. 22.
Parent taxa Juncaceae > Juncus > subg. Genuini 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. debilis, J. dichotomus, J. diffusissimus, J. drummondii, J. dubius, J. dudleyi, 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. 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. conglomeratus, J. effusus var. brunneus, J. effusus var. caeruleomontanus, J. effusus var. costulatus, J. effusus var. dicipiens, J. effusus var. exiguus, J. effusus var. gracilis, J. effusus var. pylaei, J. effusus var. solutus, J. effusus var. subglomeratus, J. griscomii
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 326. (1753) F. J. Hermann: Leaflets of Western Botany 5: 182. (1949)
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