Baltic rush

Juncus balticus Willdenow, Ges. Naturf. Freunde Berlin Mag. Neuesten Entdeck. Gesammten Naturk. 2: 298. 1809; J. arcticus subsp. ater (Rydberg) Hultén; J. arcticus subsp. littoralis (Engelmann) Hultén; J. arcticus var. gracilis Hooker; J. arcticus var. littoralis (Engelmann) B. Boivin; J. arcticus subsp. littoralis (Engelmann) Hultén; J. arcticus var. montanus (Engelmann) S. L. Welsh; J. arcticus var. montanus (Engelmann) Balslev; J. arcticus var. stenocarpus Fernald & Buchenau; J. ater Rydberg; J. balticus Willdenow balticus subsp. littoralis (Engelmann) Hultén; J. balticus subsp. vallicola (Rydberg) Lint; J. balticus var. condensatus Susksdorf.; J. balticus var. eremicus Jepson; J. balticus var. littoralis Engelmann; J. balticus subsp. littoralis (Engelmann) Hultén; J. balticus var. littoralis Englemann; J. balticus var. melanogenus Fernald & Wiegand; J. balticus var. montanus Engelmann; J. balticus subsp. vallicola (Rydberg) Lint; J. balticus var. vallicola Rydberg; J. breweri Engelmann; J. vallicola (Rydberg) Rydberg

Herbs, 2--10 dm. Leaves: blade absent. Inflorescences 6--many-flowered, loose to congested; primary bract usually several times longer than inflorescence. Flowers: tepals blackish to light brown, occasionally paler, (2.5--)3.5--5.5(--6) mm; filaments 0.2--0.5 mm, anthers 1.2--2.2 mm.

Flowering spring--early summer. . Shores, stream margins, wet meadows, fens, marshes, often slightly alkaline soils; Greenland; Alta., B.C., Man., N.B., Nfld. and Labr., N.W.T., N.S., Nunavut, Ont., P.E.I., Que., Sask., Yukon; Alaska, Ariz., Ark., Calif., Colo., Del., Idaho, Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Maine, Mass., Md., Mich., Minn., Mo., Mont., Nebr., Nev., N.H., N.Mex., N.Dak., N.Y., Ohio, Okla., Oreg., Pa., S.Dak., Tex., Utah, Vta., Vat., Wash., W.Va., Wis., Wyo.; Mexico; South America; Europe; Asia.