Juncus prismatocarpus R.Br.

Perennial quite glabrous herb, (15-)30-70(-100) cm high. Stems tufted, erect, erecto-patent, ascending or floating, or some of them prostrate and then often rooting and emitting erect flowering branches, terete or compressed, with continuous pith. Leaves few, partly basal, partly cauline, on often long sheaths with 2 short, obtuse auricles at the top, linear, acute, rather thick, compressed, hollow but divided by rather remote cross-partitions into compartments which, in dried specimens, give them a jointed appearance, 5-20 cm long. Inflorescence a terminal very lax corymb made up of few to many usually 5-10-, but sometimes fewer-or more-flowered heads which sometimes bear in their centre a small tuft of short, very narrow leaves; the heads partly sessile at the ramifications of the inflorescence, partly on stalks of ¾-5 cm length. Bracts in the heads ovate-lanceolate, acute, much shorter than the perianth, thinly membranous. Perianth 3½-4½ mm long. Tepals of about equal length, ovate-lanceolate, very acute, longitudinally nerved. Stamens 3, before the outer tepals, shorter than these, sometimes 1-3 before the inner tepals; filaments rather long; anthers linear, sometimes very short. Style very short; stigmas much longer, often recurved or sinuous. Capsule pale brown, rarely castaneous, narrowly prismatic, with prominent acute angles, rarely ovate with rounded angles, acute, varying from slightly shorter to considerably longer than the perianth; placentas not or hardly intruded, hence the fruit 1-celled. Seeds numerous, oblong, rather regularly longitudinally ribbed with faint, rather remote transverse nerves between the longitudinal ones, yellow, ca 0.5-0.8 mm long.

Between 1000 and 3225 m altitude in pools, marshy plains, on swampy river-banks, locally numerous.