Juncus echinocephalus

Juncus echinocephalus Balslev, in G. Harling, B. Sparre & U. Eliasson, Fl. Ecuador 11: 37. 1979. Type: Ecuador. Carchi: páramo El Angel, 3400 m, 27 Jan 1967, B. Sparre 14234 (holotype S). Figs. 3, 10 Perennial herbs, 30-80 cm tall. Rhizome creeping, 2-5 mm diameter, scales thin, membranous, inserted individually and not overlapping, internodes 0.5-2 cm long. Culms erect, 1.2-3 mm diameter, smooth or sometimes with small transverse nodules on the basal internode. Cataphylls 2-3 to each culm, lower one 1-3 cm long, upper one 5-10 cm long, conspicuous, reddish tinged when young, later light brown. Foliar leaves 1-2 basal and 1-2 cauline to each culm, basal one 20-50 cm long, cauline ones shorter, sometimes only 10 cm long; sheaths 4-8 cm long, first reddish tinged, becoming light brown, with distinct membranous margins terminating in two 1.5-2.5 mm long, rounded auricles; blades terete, 1-2.5 mm diameter, hollow with septa 0.2-1 cm apart. Inflorescence omm.ounds with very short principal branches, condensed into one or sometimes two irregularly shaped dark, reddish brown, bristly heads, 1-3 cm in diameter, the omm.ounds structure sometimes indicated externally by the somewhat globular subunits of the head; lower inflorescence bract 2 7 cm long, green, soon turning brown, sheath wide, open, rudimentary blade thin, 0.5-1.5 cm long, distal bracts shorter, the ultimate ones membranous and to 4 mm long. Tepals equal or outer ones sometimes slightly longer, 2.7 -4.5 mm long, linear-Ianceolate, subulate, pale with membranous margins at the base, the apex very dark brown or almost black. Stamens six, or more commonly three through abortion of the inner whorl, 1.3-1.6 mm long; anthers up to 0.7 mm long, as long as the filaments, with age sometimes less than 0.3 mm long and shorter than the filaments. Capsule ellipsoid, beaked, trigonous to 3-lobed, 2.5-3.2 mm (incl. beak) x ca. 1 mm, shorter than the tepals, gradually darker brown towards the apex, unilocular. Seeds ellipsoid, apiculate, 0.4-0.5 x ca. 0.2 mm, reticulate, yellowish brown. Distribution and habitat. J. echinocephalus is distributed in the páramos of Colombia and barely reach into the adjacent páramos of Venezuela (Tama) and Ecuador (EI Angel). It grows in wet places at elevations of 2500-4200 m above sea level, most often at 2800-3800 m. In Colombia this species is distributed in north of the Cordillera Occidental (Antioquia), center of the Cordillera Oriental and Cordillera Central (Tolima and Risaralda), Macizo Colombiano and Nudo de Los Pastos. It grows between 2800 and 4200 m, and is common in eutrophic cattle fields (Cleef, pers. comm.). Comments. J. echinocephalus is related to J. densiflorus. They both have creeping rhizomes and conspicuous, cataphylls beaked capsules, and rigid, subulate tepals which give the flower heads a bristely appearance. J. echinocephalus may be distinguished by its inflorescence which is congested, 1-2-headed, with very short principal inflorescence branches. J. densiflorus has well developed principal branches which are terminated by globular flower heads. Representative specimens. Antioquia: páramo Morro Frontino N of Urrao, 3650 m, 11 Mar 1944, Core 397, fl (US); Urrao, páramo de Frontino, 3500-3800 m, McDougal 4494 (AAU). Boyacá: Cordillera Oriental, páramo de Huina entre Belen y Susacón, 3440 m, 6-9 May 1959, H. G. Barclay 7590 (MO); municipio Ráquira, vereda Firita Peña Abajo, laguna Confites, 2850m, 19 May 1998, Becerra 195 (COL); Vado Hondo, 3015 m, 9 Jul 1973, Cleef 9540B, st (COL); páramo El Cóncavo, 3770 m, 6 Jul 1973, Cleef 10008, fl (COL); Sierra Nevada del Cocuy, Valle San José, El Playón, 3800 m, 10 Sep 1957, Grubb 771, fl (COL, K, US). Cauca: Macizo Colombiano, Valle de las Papas cerca a Valencia, 3100 m, 24 Sep 1958, H. G. Barclay 5745, fl (COL, MO, US); páramo Las Barbillas cerca a Guachicono, 3100 m, 19 Jul 1944, Core 966, fl, fr (COL, US); Letreros-Santo Domingo, 3350 m, Idrobo 3377 (P); Llano de Paletara, 2950-3100 m, 15-17 Jun 1922, Pennell 6908, fl (GH, NY, PH, US); Puracé, estación San Rafael, 3200 m, 18 Apr 1982, Torres-R. 930, fl (COL). Cundinamarca: páramo de Sumapaz, S of San Juan, 3545 m, 28 Jan 1973, Cleef 8399B, fl (COL); macizo de Bogotá, La Calera, páramo de Palacio, hacienda La Siberia, 3420-3500 m, 11 Dec 1959, Cuatrecasas 25595, fl (COL, US); Ridge between quebrada Las Chorreras (Bejucas River) and quebrada Tunal (River Gobernador) 20 km SE of San Bernardo, 3630 m, 13 Aug 1943, Fosberg 20804, fl, fr (COL, US); La Calera, páramo de la Siberia, 3000-3500 m, 25 Oct 1952, Humbert 26852, fl (COL); represa de Pantano Redondo, Zipaquira, 3100 m, 15 Aug 1956, Idrobo 2245, fl (COL). Meta: macizo de Sumapaz, laguna la Guitarra, 3380-3420 m, 4 Jul 1981, Díaz-Piedrahita 2427, fl (COL); Cubarral, laguna La Guitarra, páramo de Sumapaz, 3420 m, 5 Jul 1981, Franco-Roselli 162, fl (COL). Nariño: páramo del Cerro Precipicio, 3100 m, 4-5 Oct 1944, Ewan 16283, fl (UC, us). Norte de Santander: páramo Tama above la Cueva, 3100-3200 m, 27 Oct 1941, Cuatrecasas 12623, fl (COL, F, US); vía Toledo hacia Vereda Santa Isabel, entre páramo Santa Isabel y finca Palo Colorado, 1750-3050 m, 4 Nov 1994, Fernández-Alonso 11874, fl (COL); páramo de Romeral, 3800-4200 m, 30 Jan 1927, Killip 18627, fr (F, GH, NY, S, US). Putumayo: páramo de Santa Lucía, río Alisales, 2900-3100 m, 9 Jan 1941, Cuatrecasas 11872, fl (COL, US); río Guamues, río Estero, volcán Cerro Patascoy, 2800-3075 m, 27 Oct 1944, Ewan 16363, fl (COL, US). Risaralda: río Otún, laguna Taburetes, 3580 m, 24 Nov 1946, Cuatrecasas 23172, fl (F, US). Santander: páramo N of Cerrito, 3250 m, 12 Oct 1944, Fassett 25922, fl (NY, US), 12 Oct 1944, Fassett 25925, fl (COL, US). Tolima: Rosalito cerca páramo de Ruiz, 2800-3100 m, 15-17 Dec 1917, Pennell 2969, fl (GH, MO, NY, US). Locality unknow: Brother Ariste-Joseph s.n., fl (US); Mutis 5221 p.p. (US mixed with J. densiflorus).

Juncus

Becerra 195
Cleef 9540
Cleef 10008
Grubb 771
Barclay 5745
Core 966
Humbert 26852
Díaz 2427
Franco 162
Cuatrecasas 12623
Fernández 11874
Ewan 16363
Fassett 25922

Juncaceae