Juncus bufonius, known commonly as toad rush, is a widespread flowering plant species complex in the rush family Juncaceae.[1][2][3]
Juncus bufonius | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Clade: | Commelinids |
Order: | Poales |
Family: | Juncaceae |
Genus: | Juncus |
Species: | J. bufonius
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Binomial name | |
Juncus bufonius |
Distribution
editIts native range is circumpolar throughout tropical, subtropical, subarctic, and temperate climate areas of the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere.[1][4][5][6][7] [8] It is also widely distributed as an introduced species in suitable habitats worldwide. It grows in moist and muddy places, often in wetlands and riparian areas.[9]
In habitats where it is not native and has naturalized it may be considered a weed. The relationship of North America plants to the Eurasian Juncus ranarius is weakly delineated.[3]
Description
editJuncus bufonius is an annual monocot that is quite variable in appearance. It is generally a green clumping grasslike rush, with many thin stems wrapped with few threadlike leaves.[3]
The flowers are borne in inflorescences and also in the joint where the inflorescence branches off of the stem. It is a grassy flower folded within tough bracts and sepals.[3] The blooming period is March to May in the Northern Hemisphere and September to November in the Southern Hemisphere.[9]
Varieties
edit- Juncus bufonius var. bufonius — North America.[10]
- Juncus bufonius var. congestus — North America.[11]
- Juncus bufonius var. occidentalis — North America.[12]
- Juncus bufonius var. rechingeri — South Asia.[6]
References
edit- ^ a b GRIN-Global Web v 1.9.4.2: Taxonomy of Juncus bufonius
- ^ USDA: Juncus bufonius
- ^ a b c d Jepson: Juncus bufonius
- ^ Efloras.org: Juncus bufonius in Flora of North America
- ^ Efloras.org: Juncus bufonius in Flora of China
- ^ a b Efloras.org: Juncus bufonius in Flora of Pakistan
- ^ Online Field Guide to Common Saltmarsh Plants of Queensland
- ^ PIER Profile: Juncus bufonius
- ^ a b c Calflora: Juncus bufonius
- ^ Calflora: Juncus bufonius var. bufonius
- ^ Calflora: Juncus bufonius var. congestus
- ^ Calflora: Juncus bufonius var. occidentalis
External links
edit- Calflora Database: Juncus bufonius (Toad rush)
- Jepson Manual eFlora (TJM2) treatment of Juncus bufonius
- Juncus bufonius in the CalPhotos photo database, University of California, Berkeley