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

bayonet rush, jointed bog rush

Habit Herbs, annual, cespitose, 0.8–3.5 cm. Herbs, perennial, rhizomatous, 3–15 dm.
Rhizomes

3–4 diam., nodes not swollen, smooth. (often developing filiform leaves in running water).

Culms

to 70, more than 0.2 mm diam..

erect, terete to compressed, 5–12 mm diam.

Cataphylls

1–3, straw-colored to pink, apex acute.

Leaves

to 2.2 cm, 1/2–3/4 height of plant.

basal 0, cauline 2, long capillary leaves often found in fascicles on rhizomes;

auricles 0.3–0.5 mm, apex rounded, scarious;

blade terete, 50–70(–100) cm × 2–5 mm, those of proximal leaves usually overtopping inflorescences, distal leaves usually inflated bladeless sheaths, occasionally absent or withll well-developed blades.

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..

terminal panicles of 20–100 heads, 4–15 cm, branches erect to ascending;

primary bract erect;

heads (3–)5–13(–25)-flowered, hemispheric to turbinate, 6–8 mm diam.

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 straw-colored or reddish, lanceolate, 2.3–3.2(–4) mm, nearly equal, apex acuminate to awned;

stamens 6, anthers 1.5–2 times filament length.

Capsules

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

straw-colored, 1-locular, ovoid, 2.3–3.3 mm, equaling perianth, tapering to subulate tip, valves separating at dehiscence.

Seeds

ovoid, 0.3–0.4 mm.

obovoid, 0.5–0.6 mm, not tailed;

body clear yellow-brown.

n

= 16.

Juncus uncialis

Juncus militaris

Phenology Flowering and fruiting spring–early summer. Fruiting late summer–fall.
Habitat Margins of vernal pools and ponds Mucky bottoms of shallow lakes and rivers, wet shores
Elevation 0–1700 m (0–5600 ft) 0–500 m (0–1600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; NV; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CT; DE; IN; MA; MD; ME; MI; NH; NJ; NY; PA; RI; VT; NB; NF; NS; ON; PE; SPM
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

The proximal culm leaf of Juncus militaris usually has a single well-developed leaf blade that overtops the inflorescence; and the distal leaf usually is an inflated bladeless sheath above it. An Alabama report, based on a single specimen collected by Drummond (not seen), at GH and MO, was discounted by Coville (and here). Coville believed the location and possibly the collector were wrongly attributed to this collection (see letter from Coville to Small at NY).

(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. Septati
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. 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. 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
Name authority Greene: Pittonia 2: 105. (1890) Bigelow: Flora Bostoniensis, 2nd Ed. 139. (1824)
Web links