Juncus pervetus — blunt-flower rush
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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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enlargeFacts
Blunt-flower rush is a saltmarsh rush that is believed to be extinct, not having been seen in its lone recorded site since 1928. As the ovules on herbarium specimens are infertile, the plant may have been a hybrid.
Habitat
Brackish or salt marshes and flats
Characteristics
- Habitat
-
- aquatic
- wetlands
- New England state
- Massachusetts
- Stem shape in cross-section
- the stem is round or oval in cross-section
- Leaf blade width
- 1–2 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
- 1.5–2.5 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
-
- 5-20
- more than 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
- 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
- 1.5–2.5 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 capsule has three locules
- Seed length
- 0.4–0.6 mm
- Tubercle height
- 0 mm
-
Growth form
- Lifespan
- the plant lives more than two years
- Rhizome thickness
- 3–7 mm
- Underground organs
- the plant has a rhizome (a horizontal underground stem with roots growing from it)
-
Leaves
- Auricle length
- 0.5–1.5 mm
- Auricle texture
- the auricles are firm (though flexible) and opaque
- 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
- 250–350 mm
- Leaf blade width
- 1–2 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
- 4.5–6 mm
-
Place
- Habitat
-
- aquatic
- wetlands
- New England state
- Massachusetts
- Specific habitat
- brackish or salt marshes and flats
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Plant height
- 70–100 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
- 2–4 mm
Wetland status
Not classified
New England distribution and conservation status
Distribution
- Connecticut
- absent
- Maine
- absent
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- absent
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- absent
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- historical (S-rank: SH), H (code: H)
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Juncus militaris:
- leaves dimorphic--submersed, capillary ones produced by the rhizome and thicker, emergent ones produced by the aerial stem, and lowest stem leaf overtopping inflorescence, 3–6 mm in width at midpoint (vs. J. pervetus, with leaves monomorphic, none both capillary and produced by the rhizome, lowest stem leaf shorter than height of plant, and narrower than 3 mm in width at the midpoint).
Family
Genus
From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae
29. Juncus pervetus Fern. NC
blunt-flower rush. MA. Brackish marshes. Not collected since 1928 and believed extinct by many authors. Its origin is debated. The possession of abortive ovules in the capsules suggests hybrid origin.