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Mertens' rush

Juncus mertensianus

Also called Merten's rush, Mertens rush, Slender Stemmed Rush, Mertens´ Rush, Duran's Rush

Mertens' rush
Photo: Hurd, E.G., S. Goodrich, and N.L. Shaw., Public domain
Family
Juncaceae (Junc family)
Grows as
Perennial
Native range
Kuril Is. to N. Japan, Aleutian Is. to W. & WC. U.S.A. and Mexico (N. Baja Calif
Climate
temperate

About

Juncus mertensianus is a species of rush known by the common name Mertens' rush or Alaska rush. It is native to much of western North America from Alaska to Saskatchewan to New Mexico, where it grows in wet mountainous areas such as riverbanks and alpine meadows. This is a clumping perennial herb growing from a vertical rhizome. Its smooth, flat stems grow to a maximum height near 40 centimeters. Its few leaves are located at the base and also along the stem. The inflorescence is made up of usually one cluster of many flowers. Each flower has shiny dark brown to black tepals 3 to 4 millimeters long, six stamens with yellowish anthers, and long reddish stigmas, as in image at left. The fruit is a dark, oblong capsule, as in image at right.

Other Juncus plants

Dwarf Rush · Rush · Tapertip rush · Sharpflower rush · Spiny rush · Northern green rush · Antarctic rush · Arctic rush · Jointleaf rush · Austral Rush · Mexican Rush · Baltic Rush

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Juncus mertensianus by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

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