- .,., .,., * -.. Un~tedStates Department of Field Guide to Agr~culcure Forest Service lntermountain Intermountain Research Station Rushes General Technical Report INT-306 Emerenciana G. Hurd Sherel Goodrich May 1994 Nancy L. Shaw CONTENTS THE AUTHORS Idaho, an MS. degree in botany at Page Page Idaho State University, and a Ph.D. Introduction ............................. .... 1 J. filiformis ............................27 EMERENCIANA G. HURD is bota- degree in crop science at Oregon References ................................... 1 J. hallii ..................................29 nist with the lntermountain Re- State University. Morphology ................................... 2 J. howellii .............................31 search Station at the Forestry Sci- Descriptions ..................................2 J. longistylis .........................33 ences Laboratory in Boise, ID. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS General Description: J. mertensianus ...................35 Originally from the Phillipines, she Juncus L. ..............................2 J. nevadensis ....................... 37 holds a B.S. degree in biology from Warren Glary, Project Leader of Species Descriptions .................7 J. nodosus ...........................39 Whitman College, Walla Walla, WA, the lntermountain Research Juncus alpinus ....................... 9 J. orthophyllus ...................... 41 and MS. and Ph.D. degrees in Station's RiparianfStream Ecology J. articulatus .........................1 1 J. parryi ................................43 botany from Northern Arizona and Management Research Work J. balticus .............................13 J. regelii ...............................45 University. Unit, suggested the idea of devel- J. bufonius ...........................15 J. tenuis ...............................47 SHEREL GOODRICH is range con- oping field guides for grasslike spe- J. confusus ...........................17 J. torreyi ...............................49 servationist for the Ashley National cies of lntermountain riparian areas. J. covillei ..............................19 J. triglumis ............................51 Forest, Vernal, UT. He received a We appreciate his helpful advise J, drummondii ......................21 J. tweedyi .............................53 B.S. degree in range management and leadership in the accomplish- J. effusus ............................ 23 Glossary ......................................54 from Utah State University in 1971 ment of this work. We offer special J. ensifolius ..........................25 Index of Common Names ........... 56 and an MS. degree in botany from thanks to Joy Mastroguiseppe, cu- Brigham Young University in 1981. rator of the Marion Ownbey Her- He worked extensively in Utah and barium, Washington State Univer- central Nevada when he was with sity, for her taxonomic assistance; the lntermountain Research Sta- Lynda Smithman, lntermountain tion, Provo, UT. Research Station, for her helpful suggestions and encouragement; NANCY L. SHAW is botanist with Joe Duft for his assistance with the lntermountain Research Station photography; and Gary Hurd for his at the Forestry Sciences Laboratory willingness to drive long distances in Boise, ID. She completed a B.S. in search of uncommon species. degree in zoology at the College of Front cover art: Juncus balticus, drawn by Lenora Oosterhuis, an emigrant from Holland, a forest ecologist, and a freelance biological artist living in Boise, ID. lntermountain Research Station 324 25th Street Ogden, UT 84401 Field Guide to Intermountain Rushes Emerenciana G. Hurd Sherel Goodrich Nancy L. Sh INTRODUCTION inflorescences, flowers, capsules, seeds, distribution and habitat, Application of new information and similar species. Line draw- from the rapidly evolving fields ings and black and white or color of riparian ecology, classification, photographs illustrate the species' management, and restoration re- growth habit, inflorescences, fruits, quires accurate identification of and seeds. After the descriptions the biological components of these is a glossary of terms used in this rich and varied ecosystems. In ri- guide. The concluding section is parian areas, vegetation charac- an index of common names. teristically includes several taxo- Line drawings in this publica- nomically difficult groups, among tion were reproduced from them the sedges, rushes, willows, Hitchcock and others (19691, with and grasses. This guide provides permission from the University of individuals working in Inter- Washington Press. Photographs mountain riparian areas with a were made by the senior author. tool to aid in identifying members Species descriptions were devel- of one of these groups, the rushes oped from Davis (1952), Cronquist (Juncus spp.). and others (1977), Goodrich and The geographic area considered Neese (1986), Hermann (19751, in preparing this guide includes Hitchcock and Cronquist (1973), southeastern Oregon, Nevada, Hitchcock and others (1969), Utah, western Wyoming, and Welsh and others (19871, and Idaho south of the Salmon River. examination of specimens in the The 23 rushes described include Intermountain Research Station the common and several less Herbarium, Boise, ID. abundant species. The guide is not inclusive; readers are advised to consult comprehensive local flo- REFERENCES ras to verify identifications. Davis, Ray J. 1952. Flora of Idaho. This guide begins with morpho- Provo, UT: Brigham Young Uni- logical illustrations. Then, after versity. 836 p. a general description of the genus, Cronquist, Arthur; Holmgren, species are presented alphabeti- Arthur H.; Holmgren, Noel H.; cally by scientific name. Their Reveal, James L.; Holmgren, technical descriptions include Patricia K. 1977. Intermountain characteristics of the growth flora: vascular plants of the In- habit, leaves, involucral bracts, termountain West, USA. Vol. 6. New York: Columbia Press. A glossary at the end of the perianth; perianth regular, more commonly ellipsoid to fiisiform 584 p. publication contains further defi- or less scarious, chartaceous, or and apiculate, faintly reticulate or Goodrich, Sherel; Neese, nitions of these characteristics partly herbaceous or hyaline, of- areolate, sometimes with one or Elizabeth. 1986. Uinta Basin and of other terms used in the ten persistent during fruiting; pe- both ends prolonged into a slender flora. Ogden, UT: U.S. Depart- descriptions. rianth segments 6 in 2 series of 3, tail that may be longer than the ment of Agriculture, Forest Ser- equal or the inner series often the body and of softer texture; n = 3-36. vice, Intermountain Region. DESCRIPTIONS shorter; stamens (1,2) 3 or 6, when A genus of more than 200 species, 320 p. 3 mostly opposite the outer peri- widely distributed, best developed Hermann, Frederick J. 1975. General Description: anth series; filaments from shorter in moist to wet places of temper- Manual of the rushes (Juncus Juncus L. to much longer than the anthers; ate and boreal regions. spp.) of the Rocky Mountains Plants perennial, or infre- ovary superior; style 1, short and The above description was de- and Colorado Basin. Gen. Tech. quently annual, glabrous, grass- inconspicuous to evident; stigma rived from Cronquist and others Rep. RM-18. Fort Collins, CO: like; stems caespitose or arising branches 3, more or less elongate; (1977), Hitchcock and Cronquist U.S. Department of Agriculture, few together from rhizomes, terete fruit a small, loculicidal, often tri- (1973),Hitchcock and others (1969), Forest Service, Rocky Mountain to flattened, not jointed, leafless quetrous capsule, unilocular with Goodrich and Neese (19861, Forest and Range Experiment to leafy; leaves basal or alternate, 3 parietal placentae or trilocular Hermann (1975),Welsh and Station. 107 p. sometimes 2-ranked; leaf sheaths from the intrusion of the placen- Hitchcock, Leo C.; Cronquist, open at the base, commonly with tae; seeds numerous, minute, Arthur. 1973. Flora of the Pa- hyaline or scarious margins, these cific Northwest. Seattle: Univer- often prolonged upward on the sity of Washington Press. 730 p. sides at the juncture with the Hitchcock, Leo C.; Cronquist, blade to form rounded to acumi- Arthur; Ownbey, Marion; nate auricles; auricles rarely ex- Thompson, J. W. 1969. Vascular tending outward like those of plants of the Pacific Northwest. grass leaves, but sometimes Part 1. Vascular cryptogams, confluent, forming a ligule; leaf gymnosperms, and monocotyle- blades lacking or reduced to a dons. Seattle: University of bristle or well developed and lin- Washington Press. 914 p. ear, flat, equitant, or terete and Padgett, Wayne G.; Youngblood, oRen hollow or filled with pith Andrew P.; Winward, Alma H. and septate-nodulose; inflores- 1989. Riparian community type cence terminal, essentially cy- classification of Utah and south- mose, from diffuse and paniclelike eastern Idaho. R4-Ecol-89-01. or coryrnbllke to greatly congested, Ogden, UT: US. Department of sometimes of 1 to many cymose Agriculture, Forest Service, In- heads or clusters; the involucral termountain Region. 191 p. bract reduced to greatly elongate Welsh, Stanley L.; Atwood, D. N.; and flat to terete (when terete the Goodrich, Sherel; Higgins, Lany. inflorescence may appear lateral 1987. A Utah flora. Great Basin on the stem); branches, heads, Naturalist Memoir 9.894 p. and pedicels often subtended by bractlets; flowers few (rarely 1)to MORPHOLOGY many, small, perfect, greenish to purplish-brown or black, sessile or Descriptions in this guide may perhaps be more easily under- pedicellate, sometimes