Washington Flora Checklist

A Checklist of the Vascular Plants of Washington State
Hosted by the University of Washington Herbarium, Burke Museum

Checklist » Juncaceae » Juncus canadensis

Last updated 9/4/2019 by David Giblin.

Juncus canadensis J. Gay ex Laharpe[FNA22, HC2]

Canadian rush

Publication: Essai Monogr. Jonc. 46. 1825.

Origin: Introduced from eastern North America

selected vouchers: WTU

Notes: FNA22: "Two varieties and two forms occurring within the flora have been recognized (M. L. Fernald 1945b). Juncus canadensis var. sparsiflorus has stiffly erect inflorescence branches, and the flowers are generally longer than those of var. canadensis. These varieties simply serve to give name to parts of the broad morphologic range of variation encountered in J. canadensis and do not appear to represent any distinct biological entities.

Juncus canadensis and the following three species form a distinctive group: they have been variously treated as speecies (as here), varieties of J. canadensis, or as two species, J. canadensis and a polymorphic species, J. brachysephalus, encompassing the other three species (B. Boivin 1967--1979, part IV). Most of the species are easily recognized at their extremes but show a fair amount of overlap."

References:

» Buckingham et al. 1995 = Buckingham, N. M., E. G. Schreiner, T. N. Kaye, J. E. Burger, and E. L. Tisch. 1995. Flora of the Olympic Peninsula. Northwest Interpretive Association and the Washington Native Plant Society, Seattle, WA. 199 p.

Photo © Fred Weinmann
(from WTU Image Collection)

Synonyms & Misapplied Names:

Juncus canadensis J. Gay ex Laharpe var. longicaudatus Engelm.

Juncus canadensis J. Gay ex Laharpe var. sparsiflorus Fernald

Juncus longicaudatus (Engelm.) Mack.

Juncus polycephalus Michx. var. paradoxus Torr.