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falcate rush, sickle-leaf rush

blunt-flower rush

Habit Herbs, perennial, rhizomatous, 0.5–3 dm. Herbs, perennial, rhizomatous, 7–10 dm.
Rhizomes

3–7 mm diam., nodes not swollen.

Culms

erect, slightly compressed.

erect, terete, 2–4 mm diam.

Cataphylls

2–3, straw-colored, apex rounded.

Leaves

basal 2–4, cauline 1–3;

auricles absent or rudimentary;

blade flat, 4–15 cm × 1.5–3 mm.

basal 0, cauline 1;

auricles 0.5–1.5 mm, apex blunt, cartilaginous;

blade 25–35 cm × 1–2 mm.

Inflorescences

glomerules, (1–)2–5, each with 2–15 flowers, open or aggregate;

primary bract usually exceeding inflorescence.

terminal panicles of 24–60 heads, 5–10 cm, branches spreading;

primary bract erect;

heads 15–50-flowered, spheric, 4.5–6 mm diam.

Flowers

tepals brown, ovate-lanceolate, 4.5–6 mm, margins scarious, minutely papillate;

inner series slightly shorter.

tepals light brown, lanceolate to oblong, 2–2.5 mm, nearly equal;

stamens 6, anthers longer than filament.

Capsules

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

included with beak slightly exserted, chestnut brown, 3-locular, ovoid, 2.5 mm, apex acute proximal to beak, valves separating at dehiscence, fertile throughout or only proximal to middle.

Seeds

ovoid to pyriform, 0.7 mm, not tailed.

not seen.

Juncus falcatus

Juncus pervetus

Phenology Fruiting fall.
Habitat Upper border of salt marsh
Elevation 0 m (0 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; CA; OR; WA; BC; Pacific Islands
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
MA
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

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

All sheets that I have seen have aborted seeds. Juncus pervetus was thought to be Juncus subnodulosus, a European native (H. Weimarck 1946). It has been shown that this is a distinct species, however (S. Snogerup and B. Snogerup 1996). It would appear that this species is now extinct.

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

Key
1. Filaments much shorter than anthers
var. falcatus
1. Filaments ca. as long as anthers
var. sitchensis
Source FNA vol. 22. FNA vol. 22.
Parent taxa Juncaceae > Juncus > subg. Graminifolii 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. effusus, J. elliottii, J. ensifolius, 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
J. falcatus var. falcatus, J. falcatus var. sitchensis
Name authority E. Meyer: Syn. Luzul. 34. (1823) Fernald: Rhodora 19: 17. (1917)
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