11. Juncus dudleyi Wiegand

Pl. 93 h, i; Map 368

J. tenuis Willd. var. dudleyi (Wiegand) F.J. Herm.

Aerial stems 10–70 cm tall, caespitose, lacking noticeable rhizomes. Leaves 2–7, all basal, 1–3 sometimes lacking leaf blades, the auricles at the top of the sheaths 0.5–1.0 mm long, light yellow and often shiny, hard and rigid, cartilaginous, rounded, the leaf blades 7–35 cm long, 0.5–1.5 mm wide, folded longitudinally, or with the edges rolled toward the middle, lacking cross-partitions. Inflorescences condensed or less commonly diffuse panicles, the branches mostly flexuous and ascending, the longest leaflike bract at the base longer than the inflorescence. Flowers mostly occurring singly or in loose clusters of 2–3 near the branch tips, 20–70 per inflorescence, each with a pair of small, ovate to triangular, rounded or pointed, closely subtending bracts. Perianth 3.5–5.0 mm long, the sepals as long as or slightly longer than the petals, lanceolate, the tips attenuate. Stamens 6 per flower. Fruits 3.0–4.2 mm long, slightly shorter than the perianth, ovate in outline, the tip usually rounded, 1-locular with 3 incomplete cross-walls protruding about halfway to the middle of the fruit. Seeds 0.4–0.5 mm long, both ends abruptly tapered to darkened or translucent points. 2n=80, 84. May–September.

Scattered in the Ozark and Ozark Border Divisions and locally north in the Missouri River floodplain (U.S., Canada). Fens, calcareous seeps along streams and rivers, mesic bottomland prairies, moist areas in mesic upland prairies, and margins of ponds and lakes, mostly on calcareous substrates; also disturbed, wet areas.