Juncus brachycephalus — small-headed rush
![Inflorescences: Juncus brachycephalus. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Juncaceae/juncus-brachycephalus-in-ahaines-b.jpg)
![Flowers and fruits: Juncus brachycephalus. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Juncaceae/juncus-brachycephalus-ff-ahaines-a.jpg)
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Facts
Small-headed rush is a species of calcareous sites including meadows, lake and river shores, and marshes. It is widespread but rare in New England.
Habitat
Fens, meadows and fields, shores of rivers or lakes
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
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enlargeCharacteristics
- Habitat
-
- aquatic
- terrestrial
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Stem shape in cross-section
- the stem is round or oval in cross-section
- Leaf blade width
- 0.5–2 mm
- Leaf blade cross-section
- the leaf blade is elliptic or circular in cross-section
- Inflorescence position
- the inflorescence is at the tip of the plant
- Inflorescence branching
- the inflorescence is branched
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is a capsule, with at least three seeds in it
- Fruit length
- 2.4–3.8 mm
- Leaf position on plant
-
- some leaf attachment points are above the midpoint of the stem
- the attachment points of all the leaves are at or near the base of the plant
- Perianth composition
- the perianth is green or brown, with six sepal-like parts, and a leafy texture
- Fruit cross-section
- the fruit is triangular to terete (circular) in cross-section
-
Flowers
- Anther color (dry)
- the anthers range in color from white to tan or yellow to yellow-brown
- Floral bristle color
- NA
- Floral bristle number
- NA
- Floral bristle relative length
- NA
- Floral bristles
- NA
- Floral scale hairs
- NA
- Floral scale length
- 0 mm
- Floral scale nerves
- NA
- Flower number per cluster
-
- 2-5
- 5-20
- Inflorescence bract angle
- the bracts are vertical or angled only slightly outwards
- Inflorescence bract number
- there are two to five bracts per inflorescence
- Inflorescence bract position (Sparganium)
- NA
- Inflorescence bracts
- there are at least two bracts, and they are either flat or folded or rolled in at the edges
- Inflorescence branching
- the inflorescence is branched
- Inflorescence crowding
- the inflorescence is at least somewhat spread out, with at least one branch coming from the main stem
- Inflorescence position
- the inflorescence is at the tip of the plant
- Inflorescence shape
- the aggregations within the inflorescence are roughly circular (not flattened) in cross-section
- Inflorescence type
- there are two or more flowers, spikes or flower clusters on a branched inflorescence
- Perianth composition
- the perianth is green or brown, with six sepal-like parts, and a leafy texture
- Stamen number
-
- 3
- 4-6
- Stigma number
- 3
- floral bristle barbs
- NA
-
Fruits or seeds
- Achene beak length
- 0 mm
- Achene surface texture
- NA
- Achene tubercle relative width
- NA
- Achene tubercle width
- 0 mm
- Capsule relative length
- the capsule is longer thant he perianth
- Fruit cross-section
- the fruit is triangular to terete (circular) in cross-section
- Fruit length
- 2.4–3.8 mm
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is a capsule, with at least three seeds in it
- Fruit type (specific)
- the fruit is a capsule (splits along two or more seams, apical teeth or pores when dry, to release two or more seeds)
- Locules in capsule
- the three internal walls do not meet in the center
- Seed length
- 0.8–1.2 mm
- Seed tail relative length
- 0.8–1.2 mm
- Seed tails
- the seeds have tail-like projections
- Tubercle height
- 0 mm
-
Growth form
- Lifespan
- the plant lives more than two years
- Underground organs
- the plant has a rhizome (a horizontal underground stem with roots growing from it)
-
Leaves
- Auricle length
- 0.6–1.5 mm
- Auricle texture
- the auricles are weak, papery and translucent
- Auricles
- the leaf sheath has auricles on it
- Leaf blade cross-section
- the leaf blade is elliptic or circular in cross-section
- Leaf blade length
- 2–120 mm
- Leaf blade width
- 0.5–2 mm
- Leaf form
- all the leaves hold their form out of water
- Leaf position on plant
-
- some leaf attachment points are above the midpoint of the stem
- the attachment points of all the leaves are at or near the base of the plant
- Leaf septa
- the leaf blades have transverse septa
- Leaf sheath hairs
- the leaf sheathes are without hairs
- Pedicel length (Typha)
- 0 mm
- Stem leaf blade ligules
- there are no ligules at the leaf blade bases
- Stem leaf blades
- there are fully-developed leaves with leaf blades on the main stem
- Width of seed-producing inflorescence
- 2–5 mm
-
Place
- Habitat
-
- aquatic
- terrestrial
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- fens
- meadows or fields
- shores of rivers or lakes
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Plant height
- 20–70 cm
- Stem shape in cross-section
- the stem is round or oval in cross-section
- Stem texture near tip
- the stem feels smooth near the tip
- Stem thickness at midpoint
- 1–4 mm
Wetland status
Occurs only in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: OBL)
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Maine
- historical (S-rank: SH)
- Massachusetts
- rare to uncommon (S-rank: S2S3)
- New Hampshire
- historical (S-rank: SH), endangered (code: E)
- Vermont
- uncommon (S-rank: S3)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
9. Juncus brachycephalus (Engelm.) Buch. NC
small-headed rush. CT, MA, ME, NH, VT. Meadows, lake shores, slides, lakeside fens, and ice-scoured river shores in regions of high-pH bedrock or till.
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Juncus alpinoarticulatus:
- seeds 0.5-0.7 mm long, lacking pale appendages at each end, and capsule rounded to obtuse at apex (vs. J. brachycephalus, with seeds 0.8-1.2 mm long with short, pale appendages at each end, and capsule acute at apex).