Juncus cognatus Kunth APNI*
Description: Tufted to shortly rhizomatous perennial. Culms terete, 25–65 cm long, 0.7–1.5 mm diam.
Leaves basal, shorter than culms; blade canaliculate, 0.5–1.3 mm wide; auricles shorter than or equalling 0.5 mm long; sheath pale yellowish.
Inflorescence terminal, diffuse, 2–6 cm long, usually 5–25-flowered; flowers solitary; involucral bract 1, well-developed, 2–10 cm long, longer than or equalling inflorescence (rarely shorter). Tepals straw-brown, occasionally red-tinged in midrib region, with ± broad hyaline to pale yellowish margins; outer tepals 3.0–3.7 mm long, longer than or equalling inner tepals. Stamens 6, shorter than outer tepals; anthers 0.3–0.6 mm, shorter than filaments.
Capsule ± equally outer tepals, ellipsoid, obtuse, apiculate, golden brown.
Flowering: spring–summer.
Distribution and occurrence: Naturalised, scattered, especially around towns and other disturbed areas, south along the coast to Bega area, along the tablelands and western slopes to Canberra region. Native of S Amer.
NSW subdivisions: *NC, *CC, *SC, *NT, *CT, *ST, *NWS, *CWS, *NWP
Other Australian states: *Qld
*
Some botanists treat this as a synonym of J. dichotomus Elliott from North America. However, these taxa and J. tenuis belong to a complex that needs further study throughout their native range (the Americas).
Text by K. L. Wilson, L. A. S. Johnson & P. Bankoff (1993); edited KL Wilson (June 2010, Nov 2022, Aug 2024) Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 4 (1993)
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