Taxonomy
Family: Juncaceae
Habitat
Open marshes, shores.
Associates
Distribution
Throughout the eastern U.S. and southeast Canada.
Morphology
Perennial, to 1 m. Culms tufted; basal sheathes bladeless, reddish-brown. Inflorescence open, many flowered, green or light brown, appearing to emanate from the side of the culm; involucral bract terete, appearing to be a continuation of the culm; stamens usually 3, persisting with the fruit; fruit trilocular, about equaling the tepals.
Notes
Flowers June to July
Wetland indicator: Obligate
The stems collapse under little pressure, hence the name soft rush. A similar species, J. balticus (Baltic Rush) has brown flowers, culms in distinct rows from creeping rootstocks, and 6 stamens per floret.
References
Gleason, Henry A.
and A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States
and Adjacent Canada. Second Ed.
The New York Botanical Garden. Bronx, NY
Swink, F. and G.
Wilhelm. 1994. Plants of the Chicago Region.
Indiana Academy of Science. The Morton Arboretum. Lisle, Illinois.
Michael Hough © 2009 |