Part 7. JUNCACEAE 2: Juncus - Species Plantarum Programme

18
SPECIES PLANTARUM — FLORA OF THE WORLD (2002)
Perennials, (50–) 75–150 cm tall; rhizome creeping, branched, to 10 mm in diam., with
internode length variable. Culms rigid, usually 2–5 mm thick. Leaves 25–110 cm long, 1.5–3 mm
thick. Lower two bracts leaf-like, 5–25 cm long, including a sheath 2–5 cm long, shorter than
to much exceeding the inflorescence; middle bracts small; bracts subtending heads much
shorter than flowers, ovate, amplexicaul, cuspidate. Inflorescence 5–40 × 2–5 cm, lax,
usually elongated, with (20–) 50–150 (–300) heads. Heads (1–) 2–4 (–6)-flowered. Tepals
3.5–5 mm long, equal or outer ones ±longer; margins broad, scarious; outer tepals narrowly
ovate, cymbiform, acute to obtuse, sometimes with small mucro; inner tepals oblong, obtuse, with
margins ±expanded apically. Stamens 6, 2/3– 3/4 as long as tepals; anthers (1.0–) 1.5–2.0 (–2.5) mm
long, 3–6 times as long as filaments; style 0.7–1.2 mm long; stigmas 1–1.5 mm long.
Capsule 3.5–5 mm long, conspicuously exceeding or rarely equalling tepals, narrowly
trigono-ovoid, trilocular, usually straw-brown; apex trigonous, tapering, sometimes abruptly
contracted; mucro to 0.5 mm; seeds usually 70–90. Seeds 0.6–0.7 mm long, or 0.9–1.8 mm
long including appendages, 0.2–0.3 mm broad, narrowly obliquely ovoid, 20–25-striate;
appendages equal or subequal. 2n = 46, 48, fide S.Snogerup, Willdenowia 23: 57 (1993).
Fig. 44.
Common in N Africa, and from scattered localities in W and E Africa. Widely distributed in
S Africa. From Cyprus, Syria, Israel, Red Sea and the Arabian Peninsula, to S Afghanistan
and S Pakistan, and Turkmenistan in the north. Not found in Europe recently. 12: SAR.
13: ITA, SIC. 20: ALG, EGY, LBY, MOR, TUN. 22: MLI, NGR, SEN. 23: ZAI. 24: CHA,
SUD, SOC, SOM. 26: ANG, MLW, MOZ, ZAM, ZIM. 27: BOT, CPP, CPV, LES, NAM,
NAT, OFS, SWZ, TVL. 32: KGZ, TKM, TZK, UZB. 34: AFG, CYP, IRN, IRQ, LBS, PAL,
SIN, TUR. 35: GST, KUW, OMA, SAU, YEM. 40: PAK. Usually sandy saline localities
(both coastal and inland), in desert and steppe regions often near wells, in seasonally wet
depressions. Map 181.
13. ITALY: Sicilia, Noto, Avola, G.Bianca 283 (FI). 20. EGYPT: Wadi Kurkur, 16 Dec 1964, L.Boulos
(CAI, LD). MOROCCO: Jebel Kebir, Dahlgren & P.Lassen 140-22 (LD). 24. CHAD: Oasis Tekro,
J.Hutchinson 2 (BM). 26. ZAMBIA: Mazabuka, Kafue R., van Rensburg 2501 (K). 27. SOUTHERN
AFRICA: Cape Province, Taung, MacDonald 76/2 (NBG); Cape Province, Richmond, Leopard’s Vlei,
H.Bolus 13838 (BOL). 32. TADZHIKISTAN: Amu-Darya, between Kuljab and Gullag, 12–24 Oct 1881,
E.A.Regel (LE). 34. ISRAEL: Dead Sea, near Sedom, 18 Dec 1938, M.Zohary & Yehoudai [Fl. Terr. Israel.
Exs.] 721 (BM, E, FI, G, K, LD, NSW). 40. PAKISTAN: ENE Karachi, Khadeji, K.H.Rechinger 28569 (W).
7. Juncus kraussii Hochst., in C.Krauss, Flora 28: 342 (1845)
T: South Africa, George Distr., Notsinakama R., Jan 1839, C.Krauss; lecto: G-BOIS, fide S.Snogerup,
Willdenowia 23: 57 (1993); iso: M.
Perennials, c. 40–130 (–200) cm tall; rhizome creeping, short-noded, densely branched.
Leaves terete, 20–100 cm long, 1–5 mm in diam. Lower two bracts leaf-like with wide
sheaths, usually exceeding inflorescence; middle bracts narrowly ovate, amplexicaul,
acuminate, often with a small, distinct lamina; bracts subtending heads ovate, shorter to
±equalling flowers, scarious. Inflorescence usually lax, rarely consisting of a few clusters.
Flowers dark. Tepals ±unequal; outer tepals longer, with base and midrib herbaceous, with
margins scarious, ovate, cymbiform, keeled, with scarious margin slightly broader distally,
very fragile; mucro 0.1–0.3 mm long; inner tepals oblong, subobtuse to obtuse. Anthers
shorter than tepals. Capsule 2–2.5 (–3) mm long, trigono-obovoid to trigono-ellipsoidal,
usually obtuse, dark brown to castaneous at least in apical part. Seeds with very short
unequal appendages.
Disjunct in three areas: Southern Africa, along the S and SE coast to Mozambique; Australia,
Tasmania and New Zealand; and temperate South America. There are three subspecies.
1 Dioecious, with functionally unisexual flowers; inflorescence broad 7a. subsp. kraussii
1: Flowers usually hermaphrodite; inflorescence elongated to broad
2 Capsule exceeding perianth; inflorescence elongated 7b. subsp. australiensis
2: Capsule equalling perianth; inflorescence broad 7c. subsp. austerus