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Key to Juncus

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image of plant
Show caption*© Keith Bradley
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Show caption*© Scott Ward
1 Inflorescence appearing lateral; inflorescence bract erect, appearing to be a continuation of the culm
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Show caption*© Gary P. Fleming
1 Inflorescence appearing terminal; inflorescence bract not appearing to be a continuation of the culm.
  2 Leaf blades non-septate
image of plant
Show caption*© Keith Bradley
  2 Leaf blades septate (sometimes obscure in dried specimens; if so, rest leaf on hard surface and run fingernail over it lengthwise).
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Show caption*© Eric M Powell, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Eric M Powell
    3 Mature seeds distinctly tailed with elongate appendages at each end (may be obscure in J. subcaudatus), seeds 0.7-2.5 mm long; [subgenus Juncus, section Ozophyllum]
image of plant
Show caption*© theo_witsell, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by theo_witsell
    3 Mature seeds without appendages, < 0.7 mm long.
image of plant
Show caption*© Alex Graeff, all rights reserved, uploaded by Alex Graeff
image of plant
Show caption*© Mark Kluge, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Mark Kluge
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Show caption*© Michael John Oldham, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Michael John Oldham
      4 Flowers solitary (rarely up to 3) along branches of inflorescence; flowers often aborted; inflorescence diffuse, with slender flexuous branches; [subgenus Juncus, section Ozophyllum]
image of plant
Show caption*© Bruce A. Sorrie
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Show caption*© Paul Marcum
image of plant
Show caption*© Gary P. Fleming
      4 Flowers in heads (glomerules) of 3 or more; flowers seldom aborted; inflorescence various.
image of plant
Show caption*© Gary P. Fleming
        5 Heads spherical or nearly so, usually 15-60 flowered
image of plant
Show caption*© Gary P. Fleming
        5 Heads turbinate to hemispherical, 3-15 flowered; [subgenus Juncus, section Ozophyllum]