Aquatic and Wetland Vascular Plants of the Northern Great Plains
61. Juncaceae, the Rush Family
1. Juncus L. -- Rush2. Juncus articulatus L. -- Jointed rush
Usually tufted perennial 2-6 dm tall, with coarse whitish rhizomes. Leaves 2-4 per culm, terete, hollow, nodulose-septate, 0.5-2 mm wide when pressed; sheaths green or basal ones sometimes reddish, the margins membranous, white or tawny, prolonged as rounded or acutely rolled auricles 1-2 mm long. Inflorescence ovoid to short and depressed in outline, 2-15 cm long, up to 2X longer than broad, the branches mostly divergent to widely ascending; glomerules usually numerous, obpyramidal to nearly hemispheric, 3- to 12-flowered. Flowers green to dark brown, mostly 2.5-3 mm long; outer tepals acute to acuminate, often mucronate, about equaling or distinctly shorter than the inner ones; inner tepals acute, scarious-margined; stamens 6. Capsules oblong-ovoid, 1-locular, exceeding the tepals, acute or broadly so below the apiculate tip; seeds elliptic-ovoid to obovoid, 0.3-0.5 mm long, apiculate at both ends. Jul--Sep. Sandy or gravelly shores, stream banks and spring borders; occasional in the Black Hills and reported for Roberts Co., SD; (Newf. to B.C., s to WV, OH, IN, MN, SD, AZ and CA; also Eurasia and widely intro. elsewhere).
 Juncus articulatus, inflorescence. |
|
Next Section -- Juncus alpinus Vill. -- Alpine rush
Return to Family -- Juncaceae - The Rush Family
Next Section -- Juncus balticus Willd. -- Baltic rush
