The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

inch high dwarf rush, inch-high rush, twelfth rush

common bog rush, common rush, common soft rush, pasture rush, soft or lamp rush, soft rush

Habit Herbs, annual, cespitose, 0.8–3.5 cm. Herbs, perennial, 4–13 dm.
Rhizomes

short -branched, forming distinct, often large clumps.

Culms

to 70, more than 0.2 mm diam..

erect, terete, 1–2.5 mm diam. at top of sheaths.

Cataphylls

several.

Leaves

to 2.2 cm, 1/2–3/4 height of plant.

blade absent.

Inflorescences

terminal solitary flowers;

bracts subtending inflorescence 1, widely truncate, enwrapping culm, inconspicuous, 0.25–0.9 mm, membranous, apex widely truncate, completely sheathing culm..

lateral, compound dichasia, many flowered;

primary bract erect, terete, extending well beyond dichasium.

Flowers

3-merous, : tepals erect to recurved at maturity, greenish or tinged red, 2–4 × 0.6–0.9 mm;

outer and inner series nearly equal, apex acutish;

stamens usually 3, filaments 0.9–1.6 mm, anthers 0.3–0.4 mm, 1/3 length of filaments;

style 0.1–0.3 mm, stigma 0.4–1.3 mm.

tepals tan or darker, usually with greenish midstripe, lanceolate, 1.9–3.5 mm;

inner slightly shorter;

stamens 3, filaments 0.5–0.8 mm, anthers 0.5–0.8 mm;

style 0.2 mm.

Capsules

reddish to maroon, 3-locular, ovoid to ellipsoid, 1.8–3.2 × 1–2.5 mm, nearly equal or shorter than the tepals.

greenish tan or darker, 3-locular, broadly ellipsoid to oblate, 1.5–3.2 mm.

Seeds

ovoid, 0.3–0.4 mm.

amber, (0.3–)0.4–0.5 mm.

n

= 16.

2n

= 40, 42.

Juncus uncialis

Juncus effusus

Phenology Flowering and fruiting spring–early summer. Flowering summer, fruiting summer–fall.
Habitat Margins of vernal pools and ponds Swamps and their edges, marshes, moist meadows, and moist or saturated soils, often conspicuous in pasture meadows where it is shunned by grazing animals
Elevation 0–1700 m (0–5600 ft) Habitat??; 0–2500 m (Habitat??; 0–8200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; NV; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
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; NE; NH; NJ; NV; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; TN; TX; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WV; BC; MB; NB; NF; NS; ON; PE; QC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

The Juncus effusus complex has been variously recognized as containing several species or a single species with numerous infraspecific taxa. Unfortunately, North American treatments have dealt primarily with taxa in either the eastern or western portions of the continent. In considering the continent as a whole, little sense can be made of these treatments. The North American J. effusus complex is one that is in obvious need of modern systematic scrutiny.

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

Source FNA vol. 22. FNA vol. 22.
Parent taxa Juncaceae > Juncus > subg. Graminifolii 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. 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. 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. 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. conglomeratus, J. effusus var. brunneus, J. effusus var. caeruleomontanus, J. effusus var. costulatus, J. effusus var. dicipiens, J. effusus var. exiguus, J. effusus var. gracilis, J. effusus var. pylaei, J. effusus var. solutus, J. effusus var. subglomeratus, J. griscomii
Name authority Greene: Pittonia 2: 105. (1890) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 326. (1753)
Web links