Juncus laeviusculus L.A.S.Johnson APNI* 
Description: Strongly rhizomatous perennial. Culms terete, 35–150 (occasionally to 200) cm long, 1.7–4.8 mm diam., ± hard, mid-green; culm striations 25–90; pith continuous or interrupted.
Cataphylls 3–21 cm long, lax, abaxially yellow-brown to dark red-brown or blackish at base, adaxially golden brown to coppery.
Inflorescence pseudolateral, diffuse, 2.5–10 cm long; flowers numerous, solitary or loosely clustered; lowest involucral bract 3–16 cm long, shorter than to longer than inflorescence. Tepals straw-brown, occasionally with darker tinges, with very narrow to ± broad hyaline margins; outer tepals 1.5–2.3 mm long, longer than or equalling inner tepals. Stamens 3, shorter than outer tepals; anthers 0.3–0.6 mm long.
Capsule longer than or equalling outer tepals, obovoid to ellipsoid, obtuse, not or scarcely apiculate, golden brown.
Flowering: spring–summer.
Distribution and occurrence: In moist forests, usually on soils of moderate to high fertility; south from Deepwater along tablelands and adjoining coastal ranges to Budawang Ra. and Mt Werong.
NSW subdivisions: CC, NT, CT, ST
Culm striations are faint and less prominent than in J. alexandri, and flowers are often smaller.
Text by K. L. Wilson, L. A. S. Johnson & P. Bankoff (1993); edited KL Wilson (July 2016, Nov 2022)
Taxon concept:
| | Key to the subspecies | |
| 1 | 'Cortical' air-spaces of the culms well-developed; small sclerenchyma strands numerous in culms; pith interrupted or rarely continuous; cataphylls 3–13 cm long; tepals with very narrow hyaline margins. Culm striations 25–90. Cataphylls abaxially yellow-brown to dark yellow-brown or dark red-brown or blackish towards base. Lowest involucral bract longer than or equalling (rarely shorter than) inflorescence. Tepals acute; outer tepals 1.7–2.1 mm long | subsp. laeviusculus |
| 'Cortical' air-spaces absent from culms or few; small sclerenchyma strands absent or few; pith continuous or slightly interrupted; cataphylls 9–21 cm long; tepals with ± broad hyaline margins. Culm striations 35–80, coarser than in type subspecies. Cataphylls abaxially dark yellow-brown to dark red-brown at base. Lowest involucral bract shorter than or equalling (rarely longer than) inflorescence. Tepals occasionally with darker tinges; outer tepals 1.6–2.3 mm long, acute to acuminate; inner tepals acute | subsp. illawarrensis |
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***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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