Juncus gerardi Loiseleur-Deslongchamps. Subgenus: Agathryon. Section: Steirochloa. Blackfoot Rush, Blackgrass, Saltmarsh Rush, Saltmeadow Rush. Phen: May-Jul. Hab: Brackish marshes, salt marshes (including inland salt marshes), salt pannes. Dist: Circumboreal, in North America from Greenland and NL (Newfoundland) west to BC, south to VA, MO, OK, UT, and CA (some of the southern occurrences perhaps introduced).

ID notes: Very similar to J. compressus, but usually found in saline habitats. The filaments and anthers are usually very dissimilar in length -- the anther being much larger -- whereas J. gerardi has anther and filament about equal in size. Both species have deep black capsules, a distinctive feature among species in our region.

Origin/Endemic status: Native

Synonymy: = G, Il, K4, NY, Tat; = Agathryon gerardii (Loisel.) Záv.Drábk. & Proćków – Proćków & Záveská Drábková (2023); = Juncus gerardii – AqW, C, FNA22, GrPl, K3, Mi, Mo1, NE, Pa, Va, W, orthographic variant; > Juncus gerardi Loisel. var. gerardi – F; > Juncus gerardi Loisel. var. pedicellatus Fernald – F; > Juncus gerardii ssp. gerardii – Kirschner (2002b); > Juncus gerardii var. gerardii – K1, K2

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Wetland Indicator Status:

• Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: OBL (name change)
• Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FACW (name change)
• Great Plains: OBL (name change)
• Midwest: OBL (name change)
• Northcentral & Northeast: OBL (name change)

Heliophily ?: 9