Juncus capitatus is a species of Juncus known by the common names dwarf rush
Description
The dwarf rush is a small annual herb not exceeding ten centimeters in height. The stems are erect and thready, flat or somewhat corrugated. The leaves are basal and up to 3 or 4 centimeters long. The plant is green to red or brownish in color. Each stem bears an
inflorescence of up to six clustered flowers. The pointed
at the base of the inflorescence are often over a centimeter long, longer the flower cluster itself, and are somewhat leaflike, giving the species its common name. Each flower has pointed outer
and thinner, shorter, oval-shaped inner tepals. There are three
. The fruit is a tiny oval-shaped capsule one to two millimeters long.
Distribution and habitat
The dwarf rush is native to Europe, West Asia and North and East Africa.
In the British Isles it is only known from Anglesey, Cornwall and the Channel Islands, and is rare in all these locations.
[ It germinates in autumn and grows in places where water stands in winter and which dry up completely in summer, meaning the plant faces little competition. These locations include rock ledges on sea cliffs, around outcrops of Serpentine soil and in dune slacks. In some locations it has sometimes been thought to be locally extinct, but then reappeared later.]
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