Flora of North America species comparison

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Juncus polycephalus

Juncus oxymeris

flatleaf rush, manyhead rush

point rush
Habit Herbs, perennial, cespitose, 6–10 dm. Herbs, perennial, rhizomatous, 3–6 dm.
Rhizomes

1–2 mm diam.
Culms

erect, 3–14 mm diam.

erect, 2–4 mm diam.
Cataphylls

absent.

0–1, straw-colored, apex narrowly acute.
Leaves

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

auricles absent;

blade 8–70 cm × 4–8 mm.

basal 1–3, cauline 3–4, straw-colored;

auricles absent;

blade 3–20 cm × 3–7 mm.
Inflorescences

panicles of 16–82 heads, 10–30 cm;

primary bract erect;

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

panicles of 10–50 heads, 6–20 cm, erect to ascending branches;

primary bract erect;

heads 3–11-flowered, turbinate to hemispheric, 4–8 mm diam.
Flowers

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

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

tepals straw-colored, lanceolate, 2.5–3.2 mm, nearly equal, apex acute to narrowly acuminate, mucronate;

stamens 6, anthers 0.5–1.5 times length of filaments.
Capsules

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

exserted, chestnut brown, 1-locular, broadly lanceoloid to narrowly oblong, 3.3–4.7 mm, apex tapering to beak, separating at dehiscence.
Seeds

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

obovoid, 0.5 mm, not tailed.

Juncus polycephalus

Juncus oxymeris
Phenology Fruiting spring–fall. Fruiting late spring–fall.
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 Stream and lake shores, montane meadows and seasonally emergent wetlands
Elevation 0–100 m (0–300 ft) 100–2000 m (300–6600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; LA; MD; MS; NC; SC; TX
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
CA; OR; WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Juncus oxymeris should be expected in Mexico (Baja California).

(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. Ensifolii
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. 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. 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. acutiflorus
Name authority Michaux: Flora Boreali-Americana 1: 192. 1803 (as polycephalos) Engelmann
Web links 
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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