Wilson and Johnson, Juncus (Juncaceae) in Malesia 
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what we see as critical characteristics in separating them, but it is not intended as a 
practical key for identifying all specimens because we have not seen much material of 
some Asian species, our focus having been on Malesian species. However, we regard 
this as an opportunity to provide an interim discussion of taxa to stimulate further 
regional studies. A description of J. prisnmtocnrpus is included here to facilitate 
comparison; descriptions of J. leschenaultii, ]. sandwithii and J. wallichianus are given above. 
Key to species 
1 Pluritubulose leaves; culms more or less compressed (?occasionally unitubulose or apparently 
so in very slender J. leschenaultii) 
2 Stamens 3 
3 Plants robust with culms 2-3 mm wide below the inflorescence; leaf sheaths usually with 
broad (0.8-1.5 mm wide) hyaline to membranous margins; flower clusters usually with 
numerous (10-30) flowers, occasionally fewer; tepals 0.8-1.0 mm wide. 
4 Capsule very narrow and strongly elongated, tapering evenly to tire short apical beak 
(Australia and New Zealand) . 9. J. prismatocarpus 
4* Capsule relatively broader and shorter, contracting more sharply near the short apical 
beak . 12. J. diastrophanthus 
3* Plants slender with culms 0.7-1.5 mm wide below the uppermost node; leaf sheaths 
usually with narrow (to 0.8 mm wide) hyaline to membranous margins; flower clusters 
usually with few (3-8) flowers; tepals 0.5-0.7 mm wide . 3. J. leschenaultii 
2* Stamens 4-6 
5 Culms strongly flattened and winged; capsule more or less acute (to obtuse), dark golden 
brown, often with a reddish tinge; tepals 2.5-3(-3.5?) mm long, with 3 more or less 
prominent veins. 10. J. alatus 
5* Culms usually not winged (rarely winged); capsule rather elongated-acute to broad- 
acute, straw-coloured or slightly reddish; tepals 2.7-4 mm long, with only 1 more or less 
faint vein, longer and narrower than in /. alatus . 3. J. leschenaultii 
1* Unitubulose leaves; culms more or less terete 
6 Plants dwarf (culms less than 10 cm long) . !• J- sandwithii 
6* Plants may be slender but culms more than 10 cm long (commonly 20-50 cm) 
7 Ultimate branches of inflorescence short, so that flower-clusters are themselves clustered; 
tepals more or less incurved and broad, [2-3.2 mm long]; stamens (3—)4—6 
. . 13. J. krameri 
7* Flower-clusters spread out more or less remotely on branches in inflorescence; tepals 
more or less erect or excurved; stamens 3 (occasionally 4 in /. virens ) 
8 Capsules usually red-brown to dark red-brown; [tepals 2—3(—3.5) mm long;] stamens 6 
... 11. J. articulatus 
8* Capsules usually straw-coloured to dark golden brown, occasionally with reddish 
tinges; stamens 3(-4 in ]. virens) 
9 Tepals 1.5-2.3(-2.6 in j. papillosus) mm long 
10 Inner tepals narrow, acuminate, with very narrow hyaline margins; tepals 
reddish; capsule very long-acuminate and slender, with slender beak 0.5-0.7 
mm long. 15- J- papillosus 
10* Inner tepals broad-acute to more or less obtuse, with broad hyaline margins; 
tepals straw-coloured; capsule abruptly acuminate with short beak 0.2-0.3 mm 
long . 16. J. virens 
9* Tepals (2.3-J2.5-3.7 mm long 
