Juncus pusillus Buchenau
J. capillaceus Hook. f. Fl. N.Z. 1, 1853, 264
non Lam. Encycl. 3, 1789, 266.
Original locality: "Northern Island. East Coast, Colenso". Lectotype: K, woods near Eparaima, Hawkes Bay, Colenso 3825; isotype at WELT.
Very small, slender, tufted, from an ascending rhizome c. 0.5 mm. diam. Stems 0.1–1.5–(3) cm. × 0.2–0.3 mm., lfy, creeping and rooting below, erect above. Lvs both basal and cauline, us. > stems, up to 0.2 mm. wide, filiform, striated, terete, septate; sheath membr. with 2 obtuse auricles. Infl. terminal, either a solitary fl. or 2–3 sessile fls, very rarely composed of 2 slender branchlets each terminated by 2–3 fls; subtending bract much > infl. Fls 1.5–2 mm. long; tepals equal, pale green, later reddish. Stamens 6, = or often > tepals. Capsule somewhat > tepals, narrowly ovoid, distinctly mucronate, pale brown.
DIST.: N. From Bay of Plenty southwards. S. Throughout. St., A.
Swampy ground from sea level to 1,500 m. altitude, but not so common as J. novae-zelandiae.
J. pusillus is here regarded as an endemic sp. distinct from J. scheuchzerioides under which it has been placed in synonymy by Lourteig (CNFRA-Biologie 23, 1968, 33–49); the two spp. occur on Auckland Is. However, earlier records of J. pusillus from Kerguelen Id and southern S. America appear to be based on plants more correctly allotted to J. scheuchzerioides. J. pusillus has also been recorded from Tasmania but Lourteig (op. cit. p. 44) has based a new sp. on the Tasmanian plants.
Larger plants of J. pusillus may be difficult to distinguish from J. novae-zelandiae, but the lvs of J. pusillus are more slender than those of J. novae-zelandiae and the capsules do not turn black at maturity. The two spp. have been found growing together and remain distinct in cultivation.
