Juncus aridicola

Tufted perennial with horizontal or ascending rhizomes. Cataphylls tight or loose, pale brown throughout or pinkish-brown to medium brown at very base, usually long drawn-out, to c. 30 cm long. Culms erect, dull green, greyish-green or glaucous, 50–120 cm high and 1.3–4.0(–6.0) mm diam.; striations 40–115, fine, crowded, not strongly raised; pith interrupted, air spaces of variable size; stomates superficial. Inflorescence open, usually large, flowers scattered (rarely clustered) along strongly flexuose branches, at least some branches curving downwards; primary bract continuous with culm, to c. 40 cm long; prophylls present. Tepals with a green or faintly reddish tinged midrib, membranous margins of inner tepals rather broad, 2.0–2.8 mm long; stamens 3–6, anthers 0.5–1.0 mm long. Capsules stramineous, with a golden-brown apex, shorter than, equal to, or longer than the tepals, 2.0–3.0 mm long. Flowers mostly May–Nov., seeds shed mostly Jul.–Jan.