Juncus alexandri L.A.S.Johnson APNI*
Description: Shortly to strongly rhizomatous perennial. Culms terete, 40–150 cm long, 1.6–4.0 mm diam., ± hard, mid-green; culm striations 37–80; pith continuous.
Cataphylls 7–25 cm long, lax, abaxially yellow-brown to dark red-brown or black towards base, adaxially coppery to golden brown.
Inflorescence pseudolateral, diffuse, usually 3–11 cm long; flowers numerous, loosely to densely clustered or solitary; lowest involucral bract 3–30 cm long, shorter than to longer than inflorescence. Tepals straw-brown, with narrow to broad hyaline margins; outer tepals 1.7–2.6 mm long, longer than or equalling inner tepals. Stamens 3, shorter than outer tepals; anthers 0.4–0.7 (rarely to 1.1) mm long.
Capsule slightly shorter than to longer than outer tepals, obovoid to ovoid, obtuse to broad-acute, not or scarcely apiculate, golden brown, occasionally red-brown near apex.
Flowering: spring–summer.
Distribution and occurrence: Tablelands and adjoining coastal ranges, south from Ebor. Grows in moist forest, on soils of moderate to high fertility.
NSW subdivisions: NC, NT, CT, ST
Other Australian states: Vic.
Text by K. L. Wilson, L. A. S. Johnson & P. Bankoff Taxon concept: Flora of NSW vol 4 (1993)
| Key to the subspecies | |
1 | Cataphylls yellow-brown, dark yellow-brown or red-brown (not blackish) towards the base; 'cortical' air-spaces absent from the culms or few or small; tepals acute, mostly 1.6–2.2 mm long; cataphylls 7–14 cm long; lowest involucral bract 3–10 cm long, shorter than to longer than inflorescence; capsule obovoid. Culms 40–150 cm long, 1.6–2.7 (rarely to 3.5) mm diam.; culm striations 37–55. Tepals with broad hyaline margins. Anthers 0.4–0.5 mm, shorter than or equalling filaments. Capsule occasionally red-brown near apex | subsp. alexandri |
| Cataphylls very dark (dark red-brown to black) at maturity towards the base; 'cortical' air-spaces in culms well-developed; tepals acuminate, mostly 2.2–2.6 mm long; cataphylls 10–25 cm long; lowest involucral bract 9–30 cm long, longer than inflorescence; capsule ellipsoid to ovoid. Culms 70–150 cm long, 2.0–4.0 mm diam.; culm striations 45–75. Cataphylls 10–25 cm long. Tepals with narrow to broad hyaline margins. Anthers 0.4–0.7 (rarely to 1.1) mm, ± equalling filament length | subsp. melanobasis |
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