JUNCACEAE (Rush Family)
Plants mostly perennial, sometimes with rhizomes and/or tubers. Aerial stems
branched or unbranched below the inflorescence. Leaves alternate or all basal,
grasslike or tubular, expanded at the base into open or closed sheaths around
the stems. Inflorescences racemes or panicles of cymes, umbels, or short,
headlike spikes. Flowers perfect, rarely unisexual. Sepals 3, green to tan or
brown at maturity. Petals 3, similar in size and color to the sepals. Stamens 3
or 6, free. Ovaries 1 per flower, superior, 1- or 3-loculed, of 3 carpels.
Style short or highly reduced to absent. Stigmas 3. Fruits capsules, dehiscing
longitudinally by 3 valves. Seeds 3 to numerous. Ten genera, 325 species,
worldwide.