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flatleaf rush, manyhead rush

Pennsylvania rush

Habit Herbs, perennial, cespitose, 6–10 dm. Herbs, perennial, 5–10 dm.
Rhizomes

widely creeping, 2–4 mm diam.

Culms

erect, 3–14 mm diam.

terete, 1.5–2.5 mm diam.

Cataphylls

absent.

several.

Leaves

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

auricles absent;

blade 8–70 cm × 4–8 mm.

blade absent.

Inflorescences

panicles of 16–82 heads, 10–30 cm;

primary bract erect;

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

8–30(–50)-flowered, open, 1.5–4 cm;

primary bract terete, 1–2.5 dm, much 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;

bracteoles broadly ovate;

tepals light brown, ovate-lanceolate, 1.8–2.5 mm, apex acuminate;

inner series shorter, margins scarious, apex acute;

stamens 6, filaments 1–1.3 mm, anthers 0.5–0.7 mm;

style 0.5 mm.

Capsules

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

reddish tan to brown, lustrous, 3-locular, widely ellipsoid, 2–3 × 1.8–2.2 mm, exceeding perianth.

Seeds

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

dark amber, obovoid, 0.7–1 mm, not tailed.

Juncus polycephalus

Juncus gymnocarpus

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 Sphagnous swamps, low woods, edges of lakes
Elevation 0–100 m (0–300 ft) 600–1500 m (2000–4900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; LA; MD; MS; NC; SC; TX
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
AL; FL; MS; NC; PA; SC; TN
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
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. drummondii, J. dubius, J. dudleyi, J. effusus, J. elliottii, J. ensifolius, J. falcatus, J. filiformis, J. filipendulus, J. georgianus, J. gerardii, J. greenei, 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. smithii
Name authority Michaux: Flora Boreali-Americana 1: 192. 1803 (as polycephalos) Coville: Memoirs of the Torrey Botanical Club 5: 106. (1894)
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