Flora of North America species comparison

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Juncus effusus

Juncus trifidus

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

highland rush
Habit Herbs, perennial, 4–13 dm. Herbs, perennial, tufted, 1–4 dm.
Rhizomes

short -branched, forming distinct, often large clumps.

densely branching.
Culms

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

few to many, erect to drooping.
Cataphylls

several.

2–4.
Leaves

blade absent.

basal and cauline, 2–4;

auricles deeply lacerate, to 4 mm, membranous;

blade dark green, flat to slightly channeled, 5–12 cm × 0.5–1 mm, margins finely serrulate.
Inflorescences

lateral, compound dichasia, many flowered;

primary bract erect, terete, extending well beyond dichasium.

1–3(–4)-flowered;

primary bract usually exceeding 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.

bracteoles 2, usually lacerate;

tepals brownish, widely lanceolate, 2.1–3 mm;

inner series slightly shorter, apex acute;

stamens 6, filaments 0.3–0.7 mm, anthers 1.2–1.5 mm;

stigma 1.5–3 mm.
Capsules

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

brown, ellipsoid, 2.2–3.5 × 1.3–1.7 mm, longer than tepals.
Seeds

amber, (0.3–)0.4–0.5 mm.

brown, obliquely ovoid, 0.89–1.35 mm, not tailed.
2n

= 40, 42.

= 40.

Juncus effusus

Juncus trifidus
Phenology Flowering summer, fruiting summer–fall. Flowering and fruiting late spring–early 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 Mostly in crevices of granitic (schistose) cliffs or rubble slopes in the higher regions of the Appalachians
Elevation Habitat??; 0–2500 m (Habitat??; 0–8200 ft) 20–2000 m (100–6600 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
ME; NC; NH; NY; TN; VA; VT; NB; NL; NS; QC; Greenland; Europe; n Asia
[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. Poiophylli
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. 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. 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. monanthos, J. trifidus subsp. carolinianus, J. trifidus subsp. monanthos, J. trifidus var. monanthos
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 326. (1753) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 326. (1753)
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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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