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. mexicanus Schult. & Schult. f.

Perennial 10–60 cm; rhizome heavy
Stem erect or generally spirally twisted, flattened, slender
Leaves basal; sheaths loose, appendages short, firm; upper sheaths generally bearing 5–20 cm blades that resemble stem (blades less common farther n)
Inflorescence appearing lateral, ± compact; lowest bract 1–25 cm, cylindric, resembling stem; flowers 2–many
Flower: perianth segments 3–5.5 mm (sepals > petals), generally acuminate, color variable, midstripe varying in width and intensity, margins generally clear; stamens 6, filaments << anthers
Fruit < to > perianth, ovoid, 3-angled; beak 0.3 mm
Seed 0.5–0.7 mm; appendages 0
Ecology: Common. Coast to montane meadows
Elevation: < 3800 m.
Bioregional distribution: California (except Great Central Valley)
Distribution outside California: to Washington, Colorado, Texas, S.America
Flowering time: May–Aug
Horticultural information: STBL.