Aquatic and Wetland Vascular Plants of the Northern Great Plains
61. Juncaceae, the Rush Family
1. Juncus L. -- Rush6. Juncus canadensis Gay ex Laharpe
Coarse tufted perennial 3-9 dm tall, with stout, rigid culms. Leaves 3-4 per culm, terete, hollow, nodulose-septate, 1.5-3 mm wide when pressed; sheaths green or basal ones reddish, with narrow, membranous margins, prolonged as acute to rounded auricles 1-2 mm long. Inflorescence open or congested, 2-20 cm long, the branches ascending; glomerules few to many, containing 5-40 or more flowers, obpyramidal to hemispheric when relatively few-flowered, to subglobose when many-flowered. Flowers green to brown, (3)4-5 mm long; tepals lance-subulate, the inner slightly to distinctly longer than the outer; stamens 3. Capsules ovoid to oblong, 1-locular, equaling to strongly exceeding the inner tepals, abruptly tapered at the apex to an apiculate tip; seeds fusiform, 1.2-1.9 mm long including the white, membranous, taillike appendages at both ends, the body 1/2 or less the total length. Jul--Sep. Sandy shores, marshes and stream banks; rare, s SD and n NE; (Newf. and Que. to MN, s to GA, TN, LA and NE).
Next Section -- Juncus bufonius L. -- Toad rush
Return to Family -- Juncaceae - The Rush Family
Next Section -- Juncus compressus Jacq.
