Juncus balticus

Juncus balticus Willd., Ges. Naturf. Freunde Berlin Mag. Neuesten Entdeck. Gesammten Naturk. 3: 298. 1809. Juncus balticus Willd. subsp. andicola (Hook.) Snogerup, in Sgonerup, P. F. Zika & J. Kirschner, Preslia 74: 258. 2002. Basionym: Juncus andicola Hook, Icon. Pl., ser.2, 8: pl. 714. 1848. Type: Ecuador. Andes of Quito, W. Jameson 51 (holotype K; isotypes BM, G). Figs. 2, 3 Juncus arcticus Willd. var. andicola (Hook.) Balslev, Brittonia 35: 308. 1983. Perennial herbs, 20-170 cm high. Rhizome creeping, 2.5 -10 mm diameter, branching but with long unbranched segments, internodes very short or more often up to 4 cm long, the insertion of the culms accordingly crowded or spaced, sometimes with a creeping part with long internodes and side branches with short internodes. Culms erect, 1-10 mm diameter, smooth or slightly wrinkled to striate, but only very rarely with longitudinal ridges. Cataphylls 2-3 to each culm, lower one 1-8 cm long, distal one 3-25 cm long, usually mucronate by a up to 3 mm long acicular, rudimentary blade, yellow to light brown or stramineous. Foliar leaves absent. Inflorescence pseudolateral, 20-many-flowered, usually lax and then up to 15 x 10 cm, sometimes congested and only 2 x 2 cm, compound, cymose, consisting of several congested cymes, of which the ultimate ones are unilateral drepania; lower inflorescence bract appearing as a continuation of the culm, (2-)5-15(-25) cm long, or usually constituting between 1/10 and 1/5 of the total plant height, sometimes less, distal bracts progressively shorter, membranous; each flower clasped by two 1.5-2.5 mm long, acute, membranous bracteoles. Tepals equal or outer ones longer, lanceolate, dark brown or castaneous, outer ones 3.5-5.5 mm long, concave, acuminate, inner ones 3-5 mm long, flat to concave, acute. Stamens six, 1.5-2.5 mm long; filaments flat, widened towards the base; anthers linear 0.7-2 mm long, 1-6 times as long as the filaments. Gynoecium with style 1-1.5 mm; stigmas 1 1.5 mm. Capsule ellipsoid to ovoid, acute to truncate, apiculate, round to trigonous or slightly 3-lobed, 2.5-5 x 1.5-2 mm,equalling or shorter than the tepals, light to dark brown, often light at the base and dark at the apex, glossy, 3-septate. Seeds ellipsoid, oblong, ovoid, or irregularly shaped, short apiculate, 0.6-0.8 x 0.2-0.5 mm, rugose, light brown to castaneous below a hyaline outer seed coat. Distribution and habitat. J. balticus is circumboreal and extends toward the south through the Rocky Mountains in W North America to Patagonia. Juncus balticus subsp. andicola is distributed in Central Mexico and Guatemala and along the Andes to Patagonia. It grows at 2700-4000 m above sea level in the Andes, often in cattle fields and other places under human influence. In Colombia this species is known from one collection of the Nariño departament (Nudo de los Pastos). Comments. J. balticus subsp. andicola shows much ecological variation. We have observed it growing at the edge of a car track in a gradient from gravel to rich humus soil. The culms varied accordingly from 30 cm to 170 cm in height, and from 1 mm to 6 mm in diameter. Material examined. Nariño: volcán de Cumbal, laguna Bolsa, 2890 m, 11 Sep 1944, Ewan 16134 (NY, US).

Juncus

Sin material de COL

Juncaceae