Juncus acuminatus

Tapered Rush is a tufted, grass-like perennial with erect stems that are 3-8 dm high and fibrous roots. Leaf blades septate: they are are tubular and divided internally into cross-sections. The leaf sheaths surround the stem and have a pair of membranous appendages, or auricles, on either side where the blade is attached. Flowers are borne in 5-20 hemispheric heads on the ends of spreading stalks in an open inflorescence subtended by a single leaf-like bract. Each flower is subtended by a single scale-like bract and has 6 undifferentiated, sharply pointed perianth segments that are 3-4 mm long and light brown or greenish in color. There are usually only 3 stamens. The light brown, 3-sided seed capsules are lance-shaped and 3-4 mm long with pointed tips. Each seed is ca. 0.5 mm long and has a net-like surface with a short tip at one end.

The septate leaves and flowers subtended by a single bract and having only 3 stamens separate J. ACUMINATUS from our other non-rhizomatous rushes. JUNCUS is a large and difficult genus to distinguish, so a technical key should be consulted. Mature fruit is necessary for positive determination.