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flatleaf rush, manyhead rush

Drummond rush, Drummond's rush, three-flower rush

Habit Herbs, perennial, cespitose, 6–10 dm. Herbs, perennial, strongly tufted, to 4 dm.
Rhizomes

densely short-branched.

Culms

erect, 3–14 mm diam.

terete.

Cataphylls

absent.

several.

Leaves

basal 2–3(–6), cauline 1–4, brownish green;

auricles absent;

blade 8–70 cm × 4–8 mm.

blade absent or rarely present, to 1 cm.

Inflorescences

panicles of 16–82 heads, 10–30 cm;

primary bract erect;

heads 20–30-flowered, spheric, 8–12 mm diam.

2–5-flowered, loosely compact;

primary bract usually longer than inflorescence.

Flowers

tepals green to reddish, lance-subulate, 3–4 mm, nearly equal, apex acuminate;

stamens 3, anthers 1/3–1/2 length of filaments.

pedicellate;

tepals brown to chestnut brown with green midstripe, lanceolate or widely so, (4–)5–8 mm, margins clear;

inner series loosely subtending capsule at maturity, shorter;

stamens 6, filaments 0.7–1 mm, anthers 1.1–1.6 mm;

style 0.2 mm.

Capsules

exserted, straw-colored, 1-locular, narrowly ovoid, 4–5 mm, apex tapering to beak, remaining after dehiscence.

brown to chestnut brown, 3-locular, oblate, 4.5–7(–8) × 1.8–2.2 mm, nearly equal to or exceeding perianth.

Seeds

lance-ellipsoid, 0.5–0.6 mm, not tailed.

amber, body oblate, 0.5–0.6 mm.

Juncus polycephalus

Juncus drummondii

Phenology Fruiting spring–fall. Flowering and fruiting summer.
Habitat Wet or seasonally wet shores, depressions, occasionally in fairly deep water of streams, usually with a peaty or mucky substrate, occasionally sandy to gravelly Exposed slopes, stream banks, and meadows in montane and alpine areas
Elevation 0–100 m (0–300 ft) 1600–4000 m (5200–13100 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; LA; MD; MS; NC; SC; TX
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
AK; AZ; CA; CO; ID; MT; NM; NV; OR; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; NT; YT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Plants with capsules distinctly longer than the perianth have been referred to as Juncus drummondii var. subtriflorus. Those plants frequently occur sympatrically with J. drummondii (strict sense) through most of its range, leaving considerable doubt as to the value of recognizing such variation.

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

Source FNA vol. 22. FNA vol. 22.
Parent taxa Juncaceae > Juncus > subg. Ensifolii Juncaceae > Juncus > subg. Genuini
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. 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. 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. 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. trifidus, J. triformis, J. triglumis, J. trigonocarpus, J. uncialis, J. validus, J. vaseyi, J. xiphioides
Synonyms J. echinatus, J. engelmannii J. compressus var. subtriflorus, J. drummondii var. longifructus, J. drummondii var. subtriflorus, J. subtriflorus, J. pauperculus
Name authority Michaux: Flora Boreali-Americana 1: 192. 1803 (as polycephalos) E. Meyer: in C. F. von Ledebour, Flora Rossica 4: 235. (1853)
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