Grasses List |
Rushes Family [Juncaceae] |
category
status
flower
inner
morph
petals
(3+3)stem
2nd Aug 2009, Pendleton, Greater M/cr. | Photo: © RWD |
At up to 0.8m tall (but usually much shorter) it is shorter than the similar up to 1.1m tall Sharp-Flowered Rush. |
2nd Aug 2009, Pendleton, Greater M/cr. | Photo: © RWD |
Grows in dampish grassland usually on acidic soils. |
4th July 2015, Leasowe Lighthouse, Moreton, Wirral. | Photo: © RWD |
In the flowering stage. It is distinguished from the very similar Salt-marsh Rush(Juncus gerardii) by the styles which are twice as long as the stamens (similar sizes for J. gerardii) |
4th July 2015, Leasowe Lighthouse, Moreton, Wirral. | Photo: © RWD |
Style in the centre, which will enlarge to become the dark-brown fruit. |
4th July 2015, Leasowe Lighthouse, Moreton, Wirral. | Photo: © RWD |
The style has a spiralled three-pronged hairy stigma, the hairs being transparent and looking like miniature frozen icicles. The stamens are flattened spiralling strips with two short prongs atop. |
2nd Aug 2009, Pendleton, Greater M/cr. | Photo: © RWD |
It is multiply branched, with brown (here nearly black) tepals and fruits. Bract reaches up to the flowers, but not above. |
2nd Aug 2009, Pendleton, Greater M/cr. | Photo: © RWD |
Each flower has six pointed tepals (rather than petals) surrounding a central brown fruit. |
2nd Aug 2009, Pendleton, Greater M/cr. | Photo: © RWD |
2nd Aug 2009, Pendleton, Greater M/cr. | Photo: © RWD |
The six tepals (three inner, three outer) are blackening brown and taper to a point (centre, far right) and surround the growing fruits which are also blackening from brown and taper abruptly to concave point. |
2nd Aug 2009, Pendleton, Greater M/cr. | Photo: © RWD |
The fruits are tipped with the remains of withered stamens which once split into three at the end like a propeller (not shown). |
2nd Aug 2009, Pendleton, Greater M/cr. | Photo: © RWD |
Close-up of spikelets. |
2nd Aug 2009, Pendleton, Greater M/cr. | Photo: © RWD |
Close-up of spikelets, stamens on ends of fruits withered. |
Hybridizes with :
Easily confused with : Many similarities to : Sharp-Flowered Rush (Juncus acutiflorus), with which it also hybridizes.
Some similarities to : No relation to : Flowering-Rush [a plant with similar name belonging to a totally different family].
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Juncus | articulatus | ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ | Juncaceae |
Juncus (Rushes) |
Rushes Family [Juncaceae] |