Juncus conglomeratus L.
Soft Rush
Erect clumps; rhizomes short. Stems 30-80 cm × 1.5-3 mm, soft and easily split, grey-green, dull, prominently ridged especially just below inflorescence, pith continuous, cobwebby. Basal sheaths brownish-red, not shining. Inflorescence a ± spherical head c. 1 cm long, base of subtending floral bract conspicuously red-tinged and expanded to a wide opening through which inflorescence emerges. Flowers very crowded. Tepals 2-2.5 mm long, ± equal, acuminate. Stamens 3. Capsule c. 2 mm long, ± = tepals, ovoid-oblong, flattened at top, reddish-brown.
S. Nelson - Mt Arthur Tableland, Glenhope Scenic Reserve; Canterbury - Woolshed Hill (Cass), Mackenzie Country; Otago - near Dunedin; Southland - near Mossburn. (Europe, W. and S.W. Asia, N.W. Africa, N. America)
First record: Healy 1953: 9.
First collection: South Otago, near Dunedin, J.S. Thomson, March 1930 (CHR 3634).
J. conglomeratus is most likely to be confused with J. effusus var. compactus, but differs in the stems ridged below the heads, and the widely expanded slit through which the head emerges. It is known at present from only a few places but is likely to be found in other districts.
Confusion over the nomenclature of this taxon was resolved by Snogerup (Bot. Notiser 123, 1970, 425-9) whose choice of lectotype enabled the name J. conglomeratus to be retained in its traditional sense. Dandy (Watsonia 7, 1969, 169) had earlier concluded that J. conglomeratus L. was a synonym of J. effusus L. and that the name J. subuliflorus Drejer should be used for plants commonly known as J. conglomeratus, but he had not seen all the specimens on which J. conglomeratus was based. The name J. subuliflorus was used for a time in N.Z. e.g. Healy Identification Weeds & Clovers 1970, 140.
