Wilson and Johnson, Juncus (Juncaceae) in Malesia 
381 
Shortly rhizomatous perennial. Culms terete, hard, mid-green?, 120-145 cm long, 
1.8-3.0 mm diam.; culm striations c. 50; pith strongly interrupted, dense. Sterile leaf¬ 
like culms present but real leaves reduced to cataphylls 15-20 cm long, lax, shiny (less 
so towards apex), abaxially yellow-brown to very dark golden brown towards base, 
adaxially dark golden brown. Inflorescence 2-5 cm long, diffuse, with more or less 
densely clustered flowers, 5-10 per cluster and 2-10 clusters per inflorescence; lowest 
involucral bract 13-18 cm long, apparently continuous with culm, exceeding 
inflorescence. Flowers with 2 bracteoles. Tepals acute to acuminate, straw-brown, with 
more or less broad hyaline margins; outer tepals 2.0-2.5 mm long, slightly longer than 
or equalling inner tepals. Stamens 3, shorter than outer tepals; anthers c. 0.4 mm long, 
shorter than filament length. Capsule 3-locular, equalling or slightly exceeding outer 
tepals, elliptic to obovate, golden brown, acute to obtuse, not or scarcely beaked. Seeds 
c. 0.5 mm long. 
Illustrations: Fig. 2g, h. 
Distribution and habitat: Known only from two collections from the Yobobos 
grassland area of the Western Highlands, Papua New Guinea; in treefern grasslands 
at about 2,600 m altitude. 
Notes: The epithet is derived from the Latin durus, hard, referring to the tough culms. 
Apparently related to the Australian J. gregiflorns L.A.S. Johnson and New Zealand 
/. edgariae L.A.S. Johnson & K.L. Wilson. All three species have tough culms with dense 
pith (variously interrupted) and loose cataphylls that are dark golden brown both 
abaxially and adaxially. /. durus differs from ]. edgariae in having finer culm striations 
(about 0.05 mm wide) that are all similar (in the latter, the striations are mostly broader 
(to about 0.1 mm wide) but mixed with some finer as well. The striations in 
/• gregiflorus are similar to those of /. durus. Tire pith in /. durus culms has larger lacunae 
than in /. edgariae, while the pith in J. gregiflorus differs from both in being usually 
much reduced to mere septa-like plates of pith separating very large lacunae. 
It differs from /. decipiens, its closest relative in New Guinea, in having more rigid, 
thicker culms with much denser pith, which is frequently interrupted, and with lax 
dark golden brown cataphylls. 
The local name in the Enga language (Kepilan) is given as Guli on the label of the type 
collection. 
Collection examined: PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Yobobos grassland area (source of Laiagam River), 
c. 8,500 ft [2590 m], R. Hoogland and R. Schodde 7460 ,17 Aug 1960 (CANB, LAE). 
8. Juncus nupela Veldkamp 
(Veldkamp 1977: 415) 
Type: Papua New Guinea: Star Mountains, West Sepik, Tel Basin, Camp 2, 2900 m, 
].F. Veldkamp 6369, 8 Apr 1975; holo L; iso LAE (n.v.), NSW. 
Rhizomatous perennial. Culms terete, soft, grey-green?, 35-60 cm long, 1-1.5 mm 
diam.; striations 30-50; pith continuous, more or less dense. Sterile leaf-like culms 
present but real leaves reduced to cataphylls c. 10 cm long, lax, abaxially dark golden 
brown, adaxially golden brown. Inflorescence c. 1-3 cm long, diffuse, with flowers 
solitary or loosely clustered, c. 6 flowers per inflorescence; lowest involucral bract 5-8 cm 
long, apparently continuous with culm, exceeding inflorescence. Flowers with 2 
bracteoles. Tepals long-acute, red-brown on sides, green or straw-brown on midrib, 
with very narrow hyaline margins; outer tepals 5.5-6.0 mm long, greater than or 
equalling inner tepals. Stamens 6, shorter than outer tepals; anthers 1.5-1.8 mm long, 
exceeding filament length. Capsule 3-septate; mature features unknown. 
