FIELD ID CHARACTERISTICS:
Identification of Juncus to species requires examination of mature seeds and fruits. All Juncus have 6 sepal-like structures surrounding each fruit.
Description: Grass-like rush, forming dense clumps. Upright, hollow, smooth, needle-like stems to 0.3 to 0.5 m tall, with terminal seedheads that have rounded clusters of flowers/capsules.
Leaves: Non-septate leaves (no internal divisions) that are somewhat flattened and narrow. Flowering stalks cylindrical and smooth.
Flowers/Fruit: Terminal inflorescence is panicle of rounded bunches of fruits on stalks. Flowers and fruits June to September.
Habit and Range: Open shores, depressions, meadows in moist sandy or peaty soil. Found statewide.
COMMON CONFUSIONS:
Juncus marginatus (grassleaf rush) is similar to J. biflorus (bog rush) and J. longii (Long's rush) but has narrower leaves than those two, which both grow taller (0.5 to 1 m) than J. marginatus. J. longii has a long, slender rhizome, whereas J. biflorus and J. marginatus have short horizontal rhizomes.
Click here to view Juncus biflorus.
Link to side-by-side comparisons page
