Juncus bufonius

Juncus bufonius
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Clade:	Commelinids
Order:	Poales
Family:	Juncaceae
Genus:	Juncus
Species:	J. bufonius
Binomial name
Juncus bufonius L.

Juncus bufonius, known commonly as toad rush, is a widespread flowering plant species complex in the rush family Juncaceae.

Distribution

Its native range is circumpolar throughout tropical, subtropical, subarctic, and temperate climate areas of the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere. It is also widely distributed as an introduced species in suitable habitats worldwide. It grows in moist and muddy places, often in wetlands and riparian areas.

In habitats where it is not native and has naturalized it may be considered a weed. The relationship of North America plants to the Eurasian Juncus ranarius is weakly delineated.

Description

Juncus bufonius is an annual monocot that is quite variable in appearance. It is generally a green clumping grasslike rush, with many thin stems wrapped with few threadlike leaves.

The flowers are borne in inflorescences and also in the joint where the inflorescence branches off of the stem. It is a grassy flower folded within tough bracts and sepals. The blooming period is March through May.

Varieties

Varieties include:

• Juncus bufonius var. bufonius — North America.
• Juncus bufonius var. congestus — North America.
• Juncus bufonius var. occidentalis — North America.
• Juncus bufonius var. rechingeri — South Asia.

External links

• Calflora Database: Juncus bufonius (Toad rush)
• Jepson Manual eFlora (TJM2) treatment of Juncus bufonius
• Juncus bufonius in the CalPhotos photo database, University of California, Berkeley