FNA: Juncus xiphioides vs. Juncus filipendulus

	Juncus xiphioides	Juncus filipendulus
	iris-leaf rush	ringseed rush
Habit	Herbs, perennial, rhizomatous, 5–9 dm.	Herbs, perennial, tufted, 1.5–3.5 dm.
Rhizomes	2–3 mm diam.	poorly developed.
Culms	erect, 2–6 mm diam.	erect, compressed, bases often swollen.
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.	basal 2–4, cauline 1–3; auricles 0.5–1 mm, apex rounded to nearly acute; blade flat, 3–15 cm × 1–2.5 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.	glomerules, (1–)2–5(–10), each with (3–)6–15 flowers, open; primary bract shorter than inflorescence.
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.	tepals straw-colored with green midstripe, lanceolate or widely so, 3.5–5 mm, margins sometimes clear; outer and inner series nearly equal; stamens 3, filaments 1.5 mm, anthers 0.5 mm; style 0.5 mm.
Capsules	slightly exserted, chestnut to dark brown, 1-locular, ellipsoid, 2.4–3.8 mm, apex acuminate, not beaked.	tan to reddish brown, 3-locular, obovoid, 2.6–3.2 mm, shorter than perianth.
Seeds	elliptic to obovate, 0.4–0.6 mm, not tailed.	fusiform, 0.5–0.6 mm, not tailed.
2n	= 40.

	Juncus xiphioides	Juncus filipendulus
Phenology	Fruiting early summer–fall.	Flowering and fruiting spring–early summer.
Habitat	Salt marshes, moist areas, ditches, springs, lake and stream shores	Moist, usually calcareous soils of swales or glades, occasionally in shallow water along streams
Elevation	500–1600 m (1600–5200 ft)
Distribution	AZ; CA; NM; NV; UT; Mexico (Baja California) [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	AL; AR; GA; KY; LA; MS; OK; TN; TX [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.	FNA vol. 22.
Parent taxa	Juncaceae > Juncus > subg. Ensifolii	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. triglumis, J. trigonocarpus, J. uncialis, J. validus, J. vaseyi	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. 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. xiphioides var. auratus, J. xiphioides var. littoralis	J. leptocaulis
Name authority	E. Meyer: Synopsis Juncorum 50. (1822)	Buckley: Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 14: 8. (1862)
Web links	Local floras: CA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	Local Web sites: LA Plants WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Juncus filipendulus

iris-leaf rush

ringseed rush

Habit

Herbs, perennial, rhizomatous, 5–9 dm.

Herbs, perennial, tufted, 1.5–3.5 dm.

Rhizomes

2–3 mm diam.

poorly developed.

Culms

erect, 2–6 mm diam.

erect, compressed, bases often swollen.

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.

basal 2–4, cauline 1–3;

auricles 0.5–1 mm, apex rounded to nearly acute;

blade flat, 3–15 cm × 1–2.5 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.

glomerules, (1–)2–5(–10), each with (3–)6–15 flowers, open;

primary bract shorter than inflorescence.

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.

tepals straw-colored with green midstripe, lanceolate or widely so, 3.5–5 mm, margins sometimes clear;

outer and inner series nearly equal;

stamens 3, filaments 1.5 mm, anthers 0.5 mm;

style 0.5 mm.

Capsules

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

tan to reddish brown, 3-locular, obovoid, 2.6–3.2 mm, shorter than perianth.

Seeds

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

fusiform, 0.5–0.6 mm, not tailed.

= 40.

Juncus filipendulus

Phenology

Fruiting early summer–fall.

Flowering and fruiting spring–early summer.

Habitat

Salt marshes, moist areas, ditches, springs, lake and stream shores

Moist, usually calcareous soils of swales or glades, occasionally in shallow water along streams

Elevation

500–1600 m (1600–5200 ft)

Distribution

AZ; CA; NM; NV; UT; Mexico (Baja California)

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

AL; AR; GA; KY; LA; MS; OK; TN; TX

[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

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. triglumis, J. trigonocarpus, J. uncialis, J. validus, J. vaseyi

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. 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. xiphioides var. auratus, J. xiphioides var. littoralis

J. leptocaulis

Name authority

E. Meyer: Synopsis Juncorum 50. (1822)

Buckley: Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 14: 8. (1862)

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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Juncus xiphioides

Juncus filipendulus

Juncus xiphioides

Juncus filipendulus