Filtered (3)
Dudley's rush culms (stems) vary from 8-30" tall, unbranched except for the inflorescence, light green, hairless, and round in section. At the base of the culm are one or two 12" long, 1 mm wide, flat basal leaves. The sheath of the leaves clasps the bottom inch or two of the culm; they may be light green, light brown, or tan; at the top of the sheaths are tiny, thick, cartilaginous ear-like lobes less than 0.5 mm wide. At the culm's apex is a branched inflorescence with 6-80 flowers. At the base of the inflorescence are 1-3 narrow bracts; at least one of the bracts extends beyond the inflorescence. Individual flowers are about 1/4" across, solitary at the end of short branches, each with six 4-5 mm long tepals in two layers, six stamens, and a pistil with a singe style; they are wind pollinated. The tepals spread somewhat as the fruit is developing.

Juncus

Juncus dudleyi

Dudley's rush [Blooms: May-Jun]

Soft rush can be 2-4' tall, often growing in clumps of culms. Culms terminate in an inflorescence 3/4-4" across and an underlying bract 4-12" long that looks more like an extension of the culm than a leaf so the inflorescence looks like it is growing out of the side of the culm. Individual flowers are 2-3.5 mm long with three lance-shaped sepals, three lance-shaped petals, three stamens, and single style emerging from a central ovary; the flowers are wind pollinated. Color of these elements varies from green to brown depending on stage in the life cycle; sepals, petals, and the ovary/capsule are all about the same length at maturity.

Juncus

Juncus effusus

soft rush [Blooms: May-Jun]

Path rush (aka, slender path rush, poverty rush) is a native perennial 4-12" tall. It occurs singly or in dense tufts; the culms are light to medium green, slender, and unbranched. The leaves are considered basal by some sources, alternate by others, slender (about 1 mm across and up to 10" long), medium green, hairless, and flat with margins that tend to roll upwards. Fertile stems bear a branched inflorescence at their tips that is 1/2-3" across, bearing an umbel-like cluster of up to ten solitary flowers (never larger groups); at the base of the inflorescence is three slender, leafy bracts up to 4" long (the larger are longer than the inflorescence) that form a "V". Individual flowers have six lance-shaped, light green tepals, 3-5 mm long; six stamens; and an ovary (later a seed capsule) with a three-part, feathery style. Fertilized flowers produce an ovoid seed capsule nestled in the crown-like tepals, often with a tiny point at its tip; it is never longer than the tepals. The seed capsule later splits in three segments, releasing the tiny (0.5 mm) seeds.

Juncus

Juncus tenuis

path rush [Blooms: ?-Jun]