Juncus articulatus L. APNI* 
Description: Tufted or shortly rhizomatous perennial, often rooting at the nodes. Culms terete, 5–60 cm long, 0.8–1.5 mm diam.
Leaves unitubulose, spread along culms, shorter than culms; blade terete or ± compressed, 1–2 mm diam; auricles 0.8–1.3 mm long.
Inflorescence terminal, diffuse, 3–12 cm long; flowers clustered (rarely solitary) at apex of branches, 5–10 (rarely to 30) per cluster and 5–20 (rarely to 80) clusters per inflorescence; involucral bract 1, well-developed, 0.5–1 (rarely to 2) cm long, shorter than inflorescence. Tepals red-brown or straw-brown; outer tepals 2.0–3.0 (rarely to 3.5) mm long, slightly longer than to slightly shorter than inner tepals; inner tepals with broad hyaline margins. Stamens 6, shorter than outer tepals; anthers 0.4–1.0 mm long.
Capsule longer than outer tepals by up to 1 mm or occasionally equalling them, narrow-ellipsoid to narrow-ovoid, acuminate (tapering gradually or abruptly) to obtuse, red-brown to dark red-brown, occasionally golden brown.
Flowering: spring–summer.
Distribution and occurrence: Naturalized, widespread. Native of Eur., Asia, N Afr. & N Amer. In damp situations.
NSW subdivisions: *NC, *CC, *SC, *NT, *CT, *ST, *NWS, *CWS, *SWS, *NWP, *SWP
Other Australian states: *Qld *Vic. *Tas. *W.A. *S.A.
In Australia, anthers are on average shorter than in European material, and capsules are more commonly acuminate than obtuse.
Text by K. L. Wilson, L. A. S. Johnson & P. Bankoff (1993); edited KL Wilson (July 2016, Nov 2022)
Taxon concept: K.L.Wilson & L.A.S.Johnson (2001)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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