Juncus brachycephalus Buchenau

Smallhead rush (en)

Species

Angiosperms > Poales > Juncaceae > Juncus

Characteristics

Stems slender, densely cespitose, 3–7 dm; lvs terete, septate, often spreading, 1–2 mm thick; infl ovoid or pyramidal, 3–15 cm, half to two-thirds as wide, usually with numerous spreading-ascending or somewhat outcurved branches and numerous turbinate, 2–5-fld heads, in small plants the branches few and shorter and the heads few; fls eprophyllate; tep lance-oblong, 3-nerved, conspicuously scarious on the margins, obtuse or subacute, the sep 1.8–2.5 mm, the pet a bit longer; stamens 3 or sometimes 6; fr trigonously prismatic or subtriquetrous, evidently exceeding the perianth, 2.4–2.8 mm, abruptly narrowed to the short beak, subtrilocular, the partitions complete only near the base; seeds fusiform, 0.8–1.2 mm, the body occupying three-fifths of the length; 2n=80. Wet meadows and sandy shores; Me. to n. Ont. and Wis., s. to Pa., O., and Ind.; reported from n. Ga.
More
Herbs, perennial, cespitose, 2--7 dm. Culms erect, 1--4 mm diam., smooth. Cataphylls 1--2, straw-colored to pink, apex acute. Leaves: basal 1--3, cauline 1--2; auricles 0.6--1.5 mm, apex rounded, scarious; blade terete to compressed, 0.2--12 cm ?x 0.5--2 mm. Inflorescences panicles of 5--80 heads, 5--25 cm, branches ascending; primary bract erect; heads 2--6-flowered, ellipsoid to obovoid, 2--5 mm diam. Flowers: tepals green to light brown, lanceolate; outer tepals 1.8--2.5 mm, apex obtuse to nearly acute; inner tepals 2--2.8 mm, apex obtuse to nearly acute; stamens 3 or 6, anthers 1/2 filament length. Capsules exserted, chestnut to dark brown, imperfectly 3-locular, obconic, 2.4--3.8 mm, apex acute proximal to beak, valves separating at dehiscence. . Seeds ellipsoid to fusiform, 0.8--1.2 mm, tailed; body covered with whitish translucent veil. 2n = 80.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention evergreen
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 0.4 - 0.65
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) 0.3
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway c3

Environment

Light 5-6
Soil humidity 7-8
Soil texture 1-2
Soil acidity 4-7
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 4-9

Usage

Uses -
Edible -
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Can be grown by divisions or seedlings.
Mode divisions seedlings
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Leaf

Juncus brachycephalus leaf picture by Braydon Lathum (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Juncus brachycephalus world distribution map, present in Canada and United States of America

Conservation status

Juncus brachycephalus threat status: Least Concern

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:132036-2
WFO ID wfo-0000775997
COL ID 3QTJ9
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Juncus brachycephalus Juncus brachycephalus f. hexandrus Juncus canadensis var. brachycephalus Juncus brachycephalus f. brachycephalus