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JUNCACEAE

RUSH FAMILY

Janice Coffey Swab

Annual, perennial herb, generally from rhizomes
Stem round or flat
Leaves generally mostly basal; sheath margins fused, or overlapping and generally with 2 ear-like extensions at blade junction; blade round, flat, or vestigial, glabrous or margin hairy
Inflorescence: head-like clusters or single flowers, variously arranged; bracts subtending inflorescence 2, generally leaf-like; bracts subtending inflorescence branches 1–2, reduced; bractlets subtending flowers generally 1–2, generally translucent
Flower generally bisexual, radial; sepals and petals similar, persistent, green to brown or purplish black; stamens generally 3 or 6, anthers linear, persistent; pistil 1, ovary superior, chambers generally 1 or 3, placentas 1 and basal or 3 and axile or parietal, stigmas generally > style
Fruit: capsule, loculicidal
Seeds 3–many, often with white appendages on 1 or both ends
Genera in family: 9 genera, 325 species: temp, arctic, tropical mtns. Fls late spring to early fall.

JUNCUS

RUSH

Annual, perennial herb; rhizome (if any) generally with scale-like leaves
Stem generally cylindric or flat
Leaf: blade well developed and cylindric or flat, or reduced to small point; crosswalls often present (pull fresh blade apart lengthwise to see or slide leaf between fingers to feel); appendages often present at blade-sheath junction
Inflorescence generally terminal (appearing lateral when pushed aside by lowest inflorescence bract); bractlets 0–2
Flowers: stamens generally 3 or 6 (2 in some very small annual taxa); pistil 1, ovary chambers 1 or 3, placentas axile or parietal, stigmas generally 3(2)
Seeds many
Species in genus: 225 species: worldwide, especially n hemisphere
Etymology: (Latin: to join or bind, from use of stems)
Reference: [Ertter 1986 Mem NY Bot Gard 39:1–90]

Native

J. hemiendytus F.J. Herm.

Annual, densely cespitose, 0.1–3.2 cm
Stem 0.1–0.5 mm wide
Leaves basal, < 1.8 cm; sheath appendages 0
Inflorescence: flower generally 1 per stem; bracts 0–2, < 2 mm, ovate to rounded, not sheathing stem
Flower: perianth segments 4–6, 1.9–3.5 mm (sepals = or > petals), dull; stamens 2–3, filaments > anthers, (anthers < 0.7 mm)
Fruit < to > perianth, obovoid to oblong; chambers 2–3
Seed 0.3–0.55 mm, not striate; appendages small
Ecology: Damp open areas, especially vernally wet places
Elevation: 400–3400 m.
Bioregional distribution: Northwestern California, Sierra Nevada, San Bernardino Mountains, Great Basin Floristic Province
Distribution outside California: to Washington, Idaho, Utah
Generally self-pollinating.

Native

var. abjectus (F.J. Herm.) Ertter

CENTER BASIN RUSH


Stem 0.2–0.5 mm wide, wider below flower
Inflorescence: bracts 0
Fruit generally < perianth
Ecology: UNCOMMON. Habitat of sp.
Elevation: 1400–3400 m.
Bioregional distribution: High Sierra Nevada
Distribution outside California: to Oregon, Idaho, Nevada

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