Flora of North America species comparison

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Juncus xiphioides

iris-leaf rush
Habit Herbs, perennial, rhizomatous, 5–9 dm.
Rhizomes

2–3 mm diam.
Culms

erect, 2–6 mm diam.
Cataphylls

0 or 1–2, straw-colored, apex narrowly acute.
Leaves

basal 1–3, cauline 2–6, straw-colored;

auricles absent;

blade 10–40 cm x (3–)7–12 mm.
Inflorescences

panicles or racemes of 20–50 heads, 2–14 cm, erect or ascending branches;

primary bract erect;

heads 15–70-flowered, obovoid to globose, 7–11 mm diam.
Flowers

tepals green to brown or reddish brown, lanceolate, 2.4–3.7 mm, nearly equal, apex acuminate;

stamens 6;

anthers ½1/2 to equal filament length.
Capsules

slightly exserted, chestnut to dark brown, 1-locular, ellipsoid, 2.4–3.8 mm, apex acuminate, not beaked.
Seeds

elliptic to obovate, 0.4–0.6 mm, not tailed.
2n

= 40.

Juncus xiphioides
Phenology Fruiting early summer–fall.
Habitat Salt marshes, moist areas, ditches, springs, lake and stream shores
Elevation 500–1600 m (1600–5200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; NM; NV; UT; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

This species and the next (Juncus ensifolius) are closely related and have been treated as members of a single species (J. xiphioides) by Engelmann. Until a study of the complete subgenus is done, we are hesitant to use a varietal name (J. xiphioides var. triandrus) for the widespread western taxon J. ensifolius.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 22.
Parent taxa 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. 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
Synonyms J. xiphioides var. auratus, J. xiphioides var. littoralis
Name authority E. Meyer: Synopsis Juncorum 50. (1822)
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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