Bog rush, moor rush • Juncus stygius
(sometimes J. stygius var. americanus)
Photos by Laura Kroesen (close-up) and James and Kristen Miskelly (full plant prepared for herbarium)
Identification
Bog rush is a perennial with upright, hair-like stems that bear 1-3 small heads. The heads are pale, with 2-5 flowers that lack surrounding (involucral) bractlets. Bog rush has 1-3 narrow, nearly circular lower stem leaves. It grows to 25 cm tall.
Click here for a more detailed description and some helpful illustrations.
Habitat & Range
Bog rush grows in wet substrates in areas exposed to full sun. Habitats include bogs, marshes, shallow pools, pond edges and sedge dominant habitats. Bog rush has a fragmented circumboreal range that includes areas of north of the northern United States and parts of Eurasia. In coastal BC it is infrequently found north of the 50th parallel and is also found in east-central BC.
Bog rush is a perennial with upright, hair-like stems that bear 1-3 small heads. The heads are pale, with 2-5 flowers that lack surrounding (involucral) bractlets. Bog rush has 1-3 narrow, nearly circular lower stem leaves. It grows to 25 cm tall.
Click here for a more detailed description and some helpful illustrations.
Habitat & Range
Bog rush grows in wet substrates in areas exposed to full sun. Habitats include bogs, marshes, shallow pools, pond edges and sedge dominant habitats. Bog rush has a fragmented circumboreal range that includes areas of north of the northern United States and parts of Eurasia. In coastal BC it is infrequently found north of the 50th parallel and is also found in east-central BC.
Similar Species
Three-flowered rush (J. triglumis) and northern white rush (J. albescens) have similar-looking pale heads, but tend to be found east of the Coast-Cascade Mountains. Additionally there are some physical differences. Both have only a single terminal head per stem whereas bog rush can have up to three terminal heads per stem. They have very similar leaves (narrow, nearly circular in cross-section, tapering to a point), but bog rush has only stem leaves (lower on the stem) whereas the other two only have basal leaves. Bog rush tends to have thinner stems as well. Click the species names for links with further ID details.
Intriguing Info
Bog rush is a blue-listed species in BC.
iNaturalist
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/164281-Juncus-stygius
Three-flowered rush (J. triglumis) and northern white rush (J. albescens) have similar-looking pale heads, but tend to be found east of the Coast-Cascade Mountains. Additionally there are some physical differences. Both have only a single terminal head per stem whereas bog rush can have up to three terminal heads per stem. They have very similar leaves (narrow, nearly circular in cross-section, tapering to a point), but bog rush has only stem leaves (lower on the stem) whereas the other two only have basal leaves. Bog rush tends to have thinner stems as well. Click the species names for links with further ID details.
Intriguing Info
Bog rush is a blue-listed species in BC.
iNaturalist
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/164281-Juncus-stygius
References
Juncus stygius L. In Klinkenberg, Brian. (Ed.). E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Plants of British Columbia. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. Accessed 11/09/2013.
Pojar, J. and MacKinnon, A. (1994). Plants of Coastal British Columbia. Vancouver, BC: Lone Pine Publishing. P. 414.
Authors and editors of page
Beatrice Proudfoot, Kelly Fretwell and Brian Starzomski (2016).
Juncus stygius L. In Klinkenberg, Brian. (Ed.). E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Plants of British Columbia. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. Accessed 11/09/2013.
Pojar, J. and MacKinnon, A. (1994). Plants of Coastal British Columbia. Vancouver, BC: Lone Pine Publishing. P. 414.
Authors and editors of page
Beatrice Proudfoot, Kelly Fretwell and Brian Starzomski (2016).