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three-flower rush, three-hulled rush

dwarf rush, red bluff dwarf rush, smooth-seed rush

Habit Herbs, perennial, cespitose, 0.3–3.5 dm. Herbs, annual, cespitose, 0.2–1.2 dm.
Culms

1–8, 0.3–0.5 mm diam.

to 100, (0.2–)0.4–0.8 mm diam..

Cataphylls

1–2.

Leaves

basal, 2–4;

auricles slightly prolonged, rounded, scarious to ± leathery;

blade deeply channeled, 2–10 cm, mostly shorter than culms.

1/3–3/4 height of plant.

Inflorescences

solitary heads, each with 2–3(–50) flowers;

primary bracts brownish, nearly equal to or slightly shorter thanabout equaling inflorescence.

terminal clusters, each with 1–7 flowers;

bracts subtending inflorescence 2–8, round to acutely ovate, inconspicuous, 0.7–2.4 mm, membranous.

Flowers

tepals pale brown or darker, oblong-lanceolate, 3–5 mm, outer and inner series nearly equal;

stamens 6, filaments 2.5–4 mm, anthers 0.6–1 mm;

styles 0.5–0.8 mm.

tepals reddish to black, narrowly lanceolate to oblong, 2–4.6 × 0.5–1.4 mm;

inner series usually slightly longer than outer, apex obtuse to acuminate;

stamens 3, filaments 0.5–1.4 mm, anthers 1–3.2 mm;

style persistent, 1.4–4 mm, stigma 1.3–4 mm.

Capsules

tan, pseudo-3-locular, 3-gonous–cylindric, apex obtuse, mucronate.

reddish, 3-locular, globose to ellipsoid or oblong, 2–4.5 × 1–3 mm, nearly equal to sepals.

Seeds

tan or darker, fusiform, body 0.5–1 mm, tails 0.6–1 mm.

ovoid, 0.35–0.45 mm.

n

= 16.

Juncus triglumis

Juncus leiospermus

Phenology Flowering and fruiting in spring.
Habitat Margins of vernal pools
Elevation 0–500 m (0–1600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; CO; ID; MT; NM; OR; UT; WY; AB; BC; MB; NT; NU; ON; QC; SK; YT; Eurasia
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 3 (2 in the flora).

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

Plants from Butte and Calaveras Ccounties, California, tend to be smaller and consistently develop only one flower per culm; they may be recognized as Juncus leiospermus var. ahartii Ertter.

Of conservation concern.

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

Key
1. Most proximal bracts of inflorescence obtuse to mucronate, usually much shorter than inflorescence; capsules well exserted from perianth, 4.5–7 mm, apex conic or rounded proximal to persistent style
var. triglumis
1. Most proximal bracts of infloresecence equal to or longer than inflorescence, apex long acuminate or awned; capsules included or barely exserted from perianth, 3–5 mm, apex nearly truncate proximal to persistent style
var. albescens
Source FNA vol. 22. FNA vol. 22.
Parent taxa Juncaceae > Juncus > subg. Alpini Juncaceae > Juncus > subg. Graminifolii
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. 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. 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
J. triglumis var. albescens, J. triglumis var. triglumis
Synonyms J. leiospermus var. ahartii
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 328. (1753) F. J. Hermann: Leaflets of Western Botany 5: 113. (1948)
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