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Juncus pylaei — Pylaei's soft rush

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Facts

Pylaei's soft rush is often considered a variety of common soft rush (Juncus effusus).

Habitat

Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), marshes, meadows and fields, shores of rivers or lakes, wetland margins (edges of wetlands)

New England distribution

Adapted from BONAP data

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North America distribution

Adapted from BONAP data

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Characteristics

Habitat
wetlands
New England state
  • Connecticut
  • Maine
  • Massachusetts
  • New Hampshire
  • Rhode Island
  • Vermont
Stem shape in cross-section
the stem is round or oval in cross-section
Leaf blade width
0 mm
Leaf blade cross-section
NA
Inflorescence position
the inflorescence appears to come from the side of the plant because the involucral bract at its base looks like an extension of the main stem
Inflorescence branching
the inflorescence is branched
Fruit type (general)
the fruit is a capsule, with at least three seeds in it
Fruit length
1.5–3.2 mm
Leaf position on plant
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
Show all characteristics

  • Flowers

    Anther color (dry)
    the anthers range in color from white to tan or yellow to yellow-brown
    Anther length
    0.5–0.8 mm
    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 is just one bract on the inflorescence
    Inflorescence bract position (Sparganium)
    NA
    Inflorescence bracts
    there is only one bract, and it looks like a continuation of the stem
    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 appears to come from the side of the plant because the involucral bract at its base looks like an extension of the main stem
    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 length
    1–1.6 mm
    Stamen number
    3
    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 about equal to the perianth
    Fruit cross-section
    the fruit is triangular to terete (circular) in cross-section
    Fruit length
    1.5–3.2 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
    0.3–0.5 mm
    Seed tail relative length
    0.3–0.5 mm
    Seed tails
    there is no tail on the seeds
    Tubercle height
    0 mm

  • Growth form

    Lifespan
    the plant lives more than two years
    Rhizome thickness
    2–4 mm
    Underground organs
    the plant has a rhizome (a horizontal underground stem with roots growing from it)

  • Leaves

    Auricle length
    0 mm
    Auricle texture
    NA
    Auricles
    NA
    Leaf blade cross-section
    NA
    Leaf blade length
    0 mm
    Leaf blade width
    0 mm
    Leaf form
    all the leaves hold their form out of water
    Leaf position on plant
    the attachment points of all the leaves are at or near the base of the plant
    Leaf septa
    NA
    Leaf sheath hairs
    the leaf sheathes are without hairs
    Pedicel length (Typha)
    0 mm
    Stem leaf blade ligules
    NA
    Stem leaf blades
    there are no leaves on the main stem, or there is a small tooth or tiny blade, or a leaf sheath with no blade
    Width of seed-producing inflorescence
    15–80 mm

  • Place

    Habitat
    wetlands
    New England state
    • Connecticut
    • Maine
    • Massachusetts
    • New Hampshire
    • Rhode Island
    • Vermont
    Specific habitat
    • edges of wetlands
    • man-made or disturbed habitats
    • marshes
    • meadows or fields
    • shores of rivers or lakes

  • Stem, shoot, branch

    Plant height
    50–130 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
    1–2.5 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
present
Vermont
present

Conservation status

Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.

Massachusetts
widespread (S-rank: S5)

From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key

30.  Juncus pylaei Laharpe N

Pylaei’s soft rush. Juncus effusus L. var. decipiens, auct. non Buch.; J. effusus L.  var. pylaei (Laharpe) Fern. & Wieg. • CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. Graminoid marshes, ditches, shorelines, meadows, low areas in fields. Juncus pylaei and J. effusus ssp. solutus are the two native members of the J. effusus complex in New England (and are the most common taxa in that complex). In addition to characters provided in the key, they differ in leaf sheath and inflorescence morphology. Juncus pylaei has longest sheaths on reproductive stems 5–12 cm long that are dark red-brown to purple-black (especially dark near the base) and longest inflorescence branches (10–) 20–30 (–50) mm long. Juncus effusus ssp. solutus has longest sheaths on reproductive stems (12–) 15–27 cm long that are pale brown to red-brown (rarely dark brown) and longest inflorescence branches (30–) 40–100 mm long.

Native to North America?

Yes

Sometimes confused with

Juncus conglomeratus:
involucral bract swollen at the base of the inflorescence, sometimes somewhat reflexed in fruit, leaf sheaths with red-brown bases, the upper ones 15–23 cm long, and stems with 12–30 longitudinal ridges (vs. J. pylaei, with the involucral bract not swollen, erect in fruit, leaf sheaths with dark red-brown to purple-black bases, the upper ones 5–12 cm long, and stems with 10–20 longitudinal ridges).
Juncus effusus:
apical portion of stem relatively lustrous, smooth or nearly so below the inflorescence, with usually 30–60 longitudinal striations that are inconspicuous until drying (vs. J. pylaei, with the apical portion of stem relatively dull, evidently ridged below the inflorescence with 10–30 longitudinal grooves).

Synonyms

  • Juncus effusus var. pylaei (Laharpe) Fern. & Wieg.

Family

Juncaceae

Genus

Juncus