Flora of North America species comparison

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Juncus effusus

Juncus pelocarpus

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

brown-fruit rush, jonc à fruits bruns
Habit Herbs, perennial, 4–13 dm. Herbs, perennial, rhizomatous, 0.3–7 dm.
Rhizomes

short -branched, forming distinct, often large clumps.

1–3 mm diam., nodes not swollen.
Culms

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

erect, terete, 1–2 mm diam., smooth.
Cataphylls

several.

0 (rarely 1, straw-colored, apex obtuse).
Leaves

blade absent.

basal 0–2, cauline 1–4, small fascicles of short capillary leaves often on rhizomes and stems;

auricles 0.3–1 mm, apex rounded, membranaceous;

blade terete, 1.5–11 cm × 0.8–1.1 mm.
Inflorescences

lateral, compound dichasia, many flowered;

primary bract erect, terete, extending well beyond dichasium.

terminal cymes, flowers single or paired at nodes, (rarely in 3s), 2–25 cm, branches spreading to erect;

primary bract erect.
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 straw-colored, oblong;

outer tepals 1.6–2.3 mm, apex obtuse;

inner tepals 1.8–2.8 mm, apex obtuse;

stamens 6, anthers 2–3 times filament length.
Capsules

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

included to exserted, chestnut brown, 1-locular, narrowly ovoid, 1.5–3.5 mm, apex acute proximal to beak, valves separating at dehiscence, fertile only proximal to middle.
Seeds

amber, (0.3–)0.4–0.5 mm.

ovoid, 0.3–0.5 mm, not tailed;

body clear yellow-brown.
2n

= 40, 42.

= 40.

Juncus effusus

Juncus pelocarpus
Phenology Flowering summer, fruiting summer–fall. Fruiting late summer–fall.
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 Shores, peat bogs, sandy soils, pools, occasionally submersed in lakes, rarely in salt water
Elevation Habitat??; 0–2500 m [Habitat??; 0–8200 ft] 0–600 m [0–2000 ft]
Distribution
map 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]
map from FNA
AL; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IN; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; SC; VA; VT; WI; BC; NB; NF; NS; ON; PE; QC
[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.)

Populations from Virginia and south have been separated as Juncus pelocarpus var. crassicaudex (J. abortivus) based on their taller culms and thicker rhizomes. The evidence used to support the varietal status for the southeastern plants (N. A. Murray and D. M. Johnson 1987) clearly demonstrates that these plants are the southern end of a cline.

The flowers are often replaced by bulbils.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Parent taxa Juncaceae > Juncus > subg. Genuini 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. 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. 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. 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 J. abortivus, J. pelocarpus var. crassicaudex, J. pelocarpus var. sabulonensis
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 326. (1753) E. Meyer: Syn. Luzul. 30. (1823)
Source FNA vol. 22. Treatment authors: Ralph E. Brooks*, Steven E. Clemants*. FNA vol. 22, p. 245. Treatment authors: Ralph E. Brooks*, Steven E. Clemants*.
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Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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