Species: Juncus mertensianus Bong.

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Juncus mertensianus Bong.

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TAXONOMY

Family:

Juncaceae

Genus:

Juncus

Species Synonyms:

Juncus slwookoorum S.B. Young

Common Names:

slender-stemmed rush
Merten’s rush

DISTRIBUTION

Canada:

Yukon Territory – British Columbia – western Alberta – southwestern Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan:

southwestern Saskatchewan; Cypress Hills

Ecoregion:

Cypress Upland

HABITAT

Saskatchewan:

wet meadows

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Threatened

Nature Conservancy Status:

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

None

COSEWIC Status:

None

Slender-stemmed rush is threatened in Saskatchewan because it is rare or uncommon and is limited to the Cypress Hills.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION

Height:

5 - 40 cm

Roots:

rhizomatous, sometimes very short (if plant tufted), not swollen, branched

Stems:

perennial, loosely to densely tufted, erect, round, smooth

Leaves:

basal leaves, 1 – 2, stem leaves 0 – 1, blade 0.5 – 1.5 cm long, green, flat; basal sheaths brown or purplish; ear-like lobes at the base of the leaf 1 mm long, tip rounded to acute, membranous or dry and papery

Inflorescence:

head terminal, solitary or some with a second and smaller stalked head; heads 12 – 60-flowered, round; primary bract erect

Flowers:

small bracts at the base of the flower absent; tepals all about the same length, inner may be slightly shorter than the outer, lance-shaped to oval, tip acute, dark purplish-brown to black, shiny; stamens 6, anthers much shorter than filaments; stigmas 3

Fruits:

capsules 2 – 3.5 mm long, included or slightly surpassing tepals, inversely egg-shaped, chestnut brown, valves separating when splitting open; seeds ellipsoid, not tailed, body yellowish-brown

JUNCUS KEY FOR SPECIES FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN

1 Inflorescence appearing lateral; leaves all basal	2
1 Inflorescence appearing terminal; may have at least one blade-bearing leaf on the lower stem or all leaves basal	3

2 Bract stout, much shorter than stem; perianth parts usually darker brown; anthers commonly much longer than their filaments	J. balticus
2 Bract slender, as long as or longer than stem; perianth parts greenish to light brown; anthers commonly shorter than or equal to their filaments	J. filiformis

3 Leaves divided by cross-partitions, rounded, or if flattened, bases overlapping and blades appearing oriented with the edge towards the stem	4
3 Leaves not divided by cross-partitions, rounded or if flattened, not appearing oriented with the edge towards the stem	12

4 Leaves strongly flattened and bases overlapping and blades appearing oriented with the edge towards the stem	5
4 Leaves rounded or slightly flattened	7

5 Styles surpassing petals; seeds with a distinct tail-like appendage	J. tracyi
5 Styles equal to petals; seeds without a tail	6

6 Stamens 3; ear-like lobes at the base of the leaf lacking	J. ensifolius
6 Stamens 6; ear-like lobes at the base of the leaf present	J. saximontanus

7 Flowers in dense spherical heads	8
7 Flowers few to many in narrower heads	10

8 Heads solitary; rhizomes densely matted	J. mertensianus
8 Heads solitary; rhizomes elongate and creeping, often bearing swellings	9

9 Tepals reddish-brown, inner tepals longer than or equal to outer tepals; leaves 1 – 2 mm thick; sheaths with yellowish ear-like lobes	J. nodosus var. nodosus
9 Tepals greenish to dull brown, inner tepals shorter than outer tepals; leaves to 5 mm thick; sheaths with membranous ear-like lobes	J. torreyi

10 Seeds about 1 mm long, with definite white tail-like appendages	J. brevicaudatus
10 Seeds less than 0.5 mm long, sharply pointed but without white tails	11

11 Anthers shorter than or equalling their filaments; perianth segments obtuse; capsule exceeding the perianth	J. alpinoarticulatus ssp. nodulosus
11 Anthers distinctly longer than their filaments; perianth segments acute; capsule shorter than or equal to the perianth	J. nevadensis

12 Each flower inserted singly on the branches of the inflorescences and subtended by a pair of small bractlets in addition to the bractlet at the base of the flower stalk	13
12 Each flower subtended only by the single bractlet at the base of the very short stalk	19

13 Roots fibrous; dwarf species, branched near base; annuals; leaf sheaths without ear-like lobes	J. bufonius
13 Rhizomes elongate or short if stem densely tufted; plants not dwarfed or branched near the base; perennials; leaf sheaths with ear-like lobes or prolonged	14

14 Leaf sheaths extending to about halfway up the stem	J. compressus
14 Leaf sheaths confined to base or only extending to about one third of the way up the stem	15

15 Sepals erect, closely appressed to the capsule	J. vaseyi
15 Sepals spreading to ascending, not closely appressed to the capsule	16

16 Ear-like lobes at the base of the leaf short and round; leaf blades less than half the length of the stem	J. dudleyi
16 Ear-like lobes at the base of the leaf delicate and membranous; leaf blades usually greater than half the length of the stem	17

17 Capsule 3-loculed, nearly equalling the perianth; inflorescence compact	J. confusus
17 Capsule 1-loculed, distinctly shorter than the perianth; inflorescence a loose, branched inflorescence	18

18 Ear-like lobes at the base of the leaf prolonged into a membranous projection 3 – 5 mm long	J. tenuis
18 Ear-like lobes at the base of the leaf shorter, up to 2 mm long, nearly membranous	J. interior

19 Seeds with a sharp point; leaves flattened and grass-like	J. longistylus
19 Seeds with distinct white tail-like appendages; leaves rounded to somewhat flattened or deeply channelled	20

20 Stems arising from elongate rhizomes; perianth and capsules dark brown to black	J. castaneus ssp. castaneus
20 Stems not rhizomatous, may form clumps; perianth and capsules pale	21

21 Capsules to 9 mm long; heads 1 – 2; lower stem leaves 1 – 3	J. stygius ssp. americanus
21 Capsules to 4 mm long; heads solitary; leaves all basal	J. albescens