Wilson and Johnson, Juncus (Juncaceae) in Malesia 
363 
Description of species found in Malesia 
Juncus L. 
(Linnaeus 1753: 325; 1754: 152). 
Type: Juncus ncutus L.; lecto Coville in Britton and Brown (1913: 465). 
Perennial or annual herbs. Culms terete or occasionally compressed. Leaves basal or 
occasionally 1-3 cauline, auriculate (except in reduced leaves and J. bufonius); blades 
flat, terete, channelled, compressed or reduced to a mucro on a sheath (a cataphyll; in 
sect. Juncotypus), internally septate or hollow or filled with loose pith. Lowest 1 or 2 
involucral bracts leaf- or culm-like. Flowers bisexual or rarely unisexual (not in 
Malesia), clustered or solitary, subtended by 1 papery bract and a 2-keeled adaxial 
prophyll, with or without 2 papery bracteoles (may appear more numerous owing to 
abortion of lateral flowers). Outer whorl of tepals exceeding to shorter than inner 
whorl. Stamens 3-6. Capsule loculicidal, 1- or 3-locular or 3-septate. Seeds numerous, 
occasionally with appendages (not in Malesia). World: c. 300 spp., cosmopolitan. 
Rushes. 
In Malesia: 6 native species (2 endemic), plus 2 introduced species. 
1. Juncus sandwithii Lourteig 
(Lourteig 1968: 44, figs IE, 3B) 
Type: Australia: Tasmania: Arthurs Lake, R. Gunn 1414, 17 Jan 1845; holo P; iso BM 
(n.v.), C (n.v.), HO, K, L (n.v.), P, S (n.v.), WU (fide J. Kirschner, pers. comm.). 
Small, shortly rhizomatous perennial, more or less mat-forming. Culms terete, yellow- 
green, 1—10(—15) cm long, 0.3-0.8 mm diam. Leaves unitubulose, spread along culms, 
greater than or equalling or occasionally much exceeding culms (to three times as 
long), terete, 0.2-0.7(-1.2) mm diam.; auricles c. 0.5 (-0.8) mm long. Inflorescence 
terminal, l-2(-9) cm long, diffuse, with flowers clustered or solitary, 2-4(-10) flowers 
per cluster and l-4(-6) clusters per inflorescence, with branches to 3.5 cm long; 1 well- 
developed involucral bract, 0.4-5.0(-15) cm long, lateral, usually equalling to much 
exceeding inflorescence (occasionally shorter). Flowers without bracteoles. Tepals 
acute, straw-brown, occasionally red-tinged, usually with broad (c. 0.2 mm wide) 
hyaline to membranous margins; outer tepals (1.7-)2.0-3.3 mm long, slightly 
exceeding to slightly shorter than inner tepals. Stamens 6, shorter than outer tepals; 
anthers (0.4-)0.5-0.7 mm long, shorter than filaments. Capsule 1-locular, usually much 
exceeding outer tepals, ellipsoid to ovoid, golden brown, acuminate, very long-beaked 
(0.5-1.3 mm long). Seeds 0.4-0.5 mm long. 
Illustrations: Fig. la, b; also Lourteig (1968: figs IE, 3B); Wilson et al. (1993: 287). 
Distribution and habitat: In Malesia, only one record from a swamp-grassland on the 
SE slopes of Mt Victoria (Papua New Guinea) at 2700 m altitude. It is recorded as 
growing there at the edge of water in a small stream. Its main distribution is in 
Australia (New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania; Lourteig 1968: map 1)); from Bald 
Rock on the Queensland-New South Wales border south, at higher altitudes including 
subalpine areas, to the Grampians in western Victoria; more widespread in Tasmania. 
Notes: This dwarf species is distinctive in having the capsule about twice as long as 
the perianth, with a very long, tapering beak 0.5-1.3 mm long. It previously included 
the Australian species /. curtisiae L.A.S. Johnson, /. thompsonianus L. A.S. Johson and 
/. ratkowskyanus L.A.S. Johnson (Johnson 1991). 
