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black needle rush, blackgrass, blackgrass rush, Gerard's rush, saltmarsh rush, saltmeadow rush

somewhat-tail rush, woodland rush

Habit Herbs, perennial, 2–9 dm. Herbs, perennial, cespitose, 1.5–6 dm.
Rhizomes

long- creeping.

Culms

erect, 1–3 mm diam., smooth.

Cataphylls

1–3.

0–1, straw-colored, apex acute.

Leaves

basal, (1–)2–4;

auricles 0.4–0.6(–0.8) mm, scarious;

blade flat or somewhat channeled, 10–40 cm × 0.4–0.7 mm, margins entire.

basal 1, cauline 1–3;

auricles 0.5–1 mm, apex rounded, scarious;

blade terete, 4.5–15 cm × 1–2 mm.

Inflorescences

10–30(–80)-flowered, usually loose and somewhat lax, 2–16 cm;

primary bract rarely surpassing inflorescence.

panicles or racemes of 3–35 heads, 2–16 cm, branches widely spreading (at least the proximalmost);

primary bract erect;

heads 2–10(–20)-flowered, obconic to nearly spheric, 3–9 mm diam.

Flowers

bracteoles 2;

tepals dark brown or blackish, lanceolate-ovate to oblong, 2.6–3.2(–3.8) mm;

inner and outer series nearly equal, apex obtuse;

stamens 6, filaments 0.4–0.7 mm, anthers 1.1–1.6(–1.8) mm;

style 0.4 mm.

tepals greenish, becoming straw-colored, lanceolate;

outer tepals 1.8–3 mm, apex acuminate;

inner tepals 2–3.2 mm, apex acuminate;

stamens 3, anthers 1/3 filament length.

Capsules

chestnut brown or brown, 3-locular, widely ellipsoid, (2.2–)2.5–3.2(–3.5) × 1.3–1.9 mm.

exserted, straw-colored, imperfectly 3-locular, ovoid to prismatic, 3–3.8 mm, apex acute proximal to beak, valves separating at dehiscence.

Seeds

dark brown, ellipsoid to lunate, 0.485–0.6(–0.67) mm, not tailed.

ellipsoid, 0.7–1.2 mm, tailed;

body covered with whitish translucent veil.

2n

= ca. 80, 84.

Juncus gerardii

Juncus subcaudatus

Phenology Flowering and fruiting late spring–summer. Fruiting late summer–fall.
Habitat Forming extensive colonies in exposed coastal estuary meadows and salt marshes just above high- tide line, also inland Stream banks, lake and pond shores, bogs, and other wet places
Elevation 0–1000 m (0–3300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CO; CT; DE; IL; IN; KS; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MT; ND; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OR; OR; PA; RI; UT; VA; VT; WA; WI; BC; MB; NB; NF; NS; ON; PE; QC; SPM; Greenland; Europe; Asia
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
AL; AR; CT; DC; DE; GA; IL; KY; MA; MD; ME; MO; NC; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; TN; VA; WV; NF; NS
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 22. FNA vol. 22.
Parent taxa Juncaceae > Juncus > subg. Poiophylli 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. falcatus, J. filiformis, J. filipendulus, J. georgianus, 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. 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. bulbosus var. gerardii, J. fucensis, J. gerardii var. pedicellatus J. canadensis var. subcaudatus, J. subcaudatus var. planisepalus
Name authority Loiseleur-Deslongchamps: J. Bot. (Desvaux) 2: 284. (1809) (Engelmann) Coville & S. F. Blake: Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 31: 45. (1918)
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