Question: Juncus ambiguus based on truncate capsules and short inner tepals? From an island off the coast of Washington County, Maine. …
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Question
Juncus ambiguus based on truncate capsules and short inner tepals? From an island off the coast of Washington County, Maine. The plant is very small, with much shorter culms than images on the Go Botany species page. Many flowers are replaced by bulbils or propagules. Is that characteristic of this species?
Answer
Thokozile, Juncus ranarius (the correct name for what we were calling Juncus ambiguous) is defined (in part) on truncate capsules with short, obtuse to rounded inner tepals. It is also defined on a compact inflorescence with flowers often grouped into glommerules (rather than being positioned singly). There is a lot of intermediate material between Juncus ranarius and Juncus bufonius. The bulbils you note are simply sterile flowers or flowers that have not yet matured (I see that a lot in this species). Best wishes.
