Juncus tenuis |
Juncus debilis |
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path rush, poverty or slender rush, poverty rush, slender rush |
weak rush |
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Habit | Herbs, perennial, tufted, 1.5–5 dm. | Herbs, perennial, cespitose, 1–2.5 dm. |
Rhizomes | densely branching. |
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Culms | few–20. |
erect, terete, 1–2 mm diam., smooth. |
Cataphylls | 0–1, maroon or dark green, apex acute. |
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Leaves | basal, (1–)2–3; auricles 2–5 mm, apex acute, membranous; blade flat, 3–12 cm × 0.5–1 mm, margins entire. |
basal 0–1, cauline 1–3; auricles 1–1.5 mm, apex rounded, scarious; blade maroon or dark green, terete, 1–12.5 cm × 0.5–1.5 mm. |
Inflorescences | 5–40-flowered, borne congested or branch internodes ca. as long as tepals, ssomewhat loose, 1–5 cm; primary bract usually longer than inflorescence. |
terminal panicles of 3–50 heads, 2–8 cm, branches ascending to spreading; primary bract erect; heads 2–10-flowered, obpyramidal, 2–5 mm diam. |
Flowers | bracteoles 2; tepals greenish, lanceolate, 3.3–4.4 mm; outer and inner series nearly equal; stamens 6, filaments 0.5–0.9 mm, anthers 0.1–0.2 mm; style 0.1–0.2 mm. |
tepals green to straw-colored, lanceolate, 1.8–2.3(–2.5) mm, apex sharply acuminate; stamens 3, 1/2 filament length. |
Capsules | tan or light brown, 1-locular to pseudo-3-locular, ellipsoid, (3.3–)3.8–4.7 × (1.1–)1.3–1.7 mm, nearly equal to tepals. |
exserted, straw-colored, 1-locular, narrowly ellipsoid to lanceoloid, 2.8–3.7 7(–4.2) mm, apex acute, valves separating at dehiscence. |
Seeds | tan, ellipsoid to lunate, (0.52–)5.5–0.65(–0.7) mm, not tailed. |
ellipsoid, 0.3–0.4 mm, not tailed; body clear yellow-brown. |
2n | = 80. |
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Juncus tenuis |
Juncus debilis |
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Phenology | Flowering spring–early summer. | Fruiting summer. |
Habitat | Exposed or shaded sites in soils ranging from sandy to clayey under moist or drier conditions, oftentimes these sites naturally or otherwise disturbed (e.g., game or human trails) | Marshy shores, in small streams, swamps, wet clearings, spring runs, commonly in very soft mucky substrates |
Elevation | 0–700 m (0–2300 ft) | |
Distribution |
AK; AL; AR; AZ; CA; CO; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; MT; NC; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NM; NV; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; UT; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NS; ON; PE; QC; SK [Introduced worldwide]
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AL; AR; DE; FL; GA; IL; KY; LA; MD; MO; MS; NC; NJ; NY; PA; SC; TN; TX; VA; Mexicos (Chiapas); Central America (Honduras)
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Discussion | Juncus tenuis occurs throughout North America. It is particularly abundant in northeastern United States and eastern Canada, although infrequent in the south and west. Through the use of isozyme electrophoresis, hybridization can be demonstrated between various members of the Juncus tenuis complex, including Juncus tenuis, J. anthelatus, J. interior, J. secundus, and J. dichotomus (R. E. Brooks, unpubl.). Juncus ××oronensis is thought to be a hybrid between J. tenuis and J. vaseyi in the northeast. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Juncus debilis A. Gray is a name being proposed for conservation. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 22. | FNA vol. 22. |
Parent taxa | Juncaceae > Juncus > subg. Poiophylli | Juncaceae > Juncus > subg. Septati |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | J. bicornis, J. bicornis var. williamsii, J. macer, J. macer, J. macer var. williamsii, J. tenuis var. bicornis, J. tenuis var. multicornis, J. tenuis var. williamsii | J. acuminatus var. debilis, J. radicans |
Name authority | Willdenow: Sp. Pl. 2(1): 214. (1799) | A. Gray: Manual 481506. (1848) |
Web links |
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