| Author | M.A. Curtis | |
| Distribution | Outer Coastal Plain, Outer Banks, and barrier islands -- essentially within 50 miles of the coast.
Coastal Plain, MD to southern FL and southeastern TX. | |
| Abundance | Frequently encountered -- fairly common to often common. The State Rank should be moved to S4. | |
| Habitat | Moist sandy soil of interdune marshes and ponds, margins of brackish marshes, fresh-tidal marshes, freshwater marshes, roadside ditches. | |
| Phenology | Flowering and fruiting June-August. | |
| Identification | Bighead Rush usually grows 2-3 feet tall, with a fairly compact (not widely open) inflorescence of chestnut-colored, round heads. Manyhead Rush (J. polycephalus) also has reddish-brown heads, but its inflorescence is much more open, and its lower stem leaf blades are generally flattened laterally (versus round in cross-section). | |
| Taxonomic Comments | None
NOTE on Juncus: These "grasslike" or "sedgelike" plants occur in most habitats, especially where moist or wet. They can immediately be told from grasses and sedges by the presence of 6 tepals (petal-like) that surround the fruit. These tepals can be thought of as analogous to sepals and petals of, say, lilies or trilliums. Most species have brown, chestnut, or reddish tepals and dark brown fruits. The flowers occur in few- to many-flowered heads. Leaves are nearly all basal and round in cross-section. Stems are unbranched, except for the inflorescence. Fruits are termed capsules and contain many tiny seeds. | |
| Other Common Name(s) | Large-headed Rush | |
| State Rank | S3? [S4] | |
| Global Rank | G4G5 | |
| State Status | | |
| US Status | | |
| USACE-agcp | OBL link |
| USACE-emp | OBL link |
