Juncus falcatus subsp. falcatus

Perennial with leafy shoots arising at intervals along tough, scaly, long-creeping rhizomes. Culms erect, 3–40 cm high, exceeding the leaves, minutely scabrous (particularly in the upper part). Leaves mostly basal, often a single cauline leaf present; blade flat, often slightly falcate, greyish-green, to c. 30 cm long and 2(–3) mm wide, margins minutely roughened towards the acute apex; sheath margins sometimes produced into a narrow lobe at apex, to c. 0.5 mm long. Inflorescence a 4–20-flowered brown or blackish cluster c. 1–1.5 cm diam. in fruit, occasionally with 1 or 2 ± stalked lateral clusters; primary bract usually leaf-like and usually exceeding cluster; prophylls absent. Outer tepals (3.2–)c. 4(–5.5) mm long, the exterior surface minutely scabrous, acute-acuminate; inner subequal to or slightly shorter than the outer, obtuse to acuminate; stamens 6, anthers 0.8–1.6 mm long. Capsules dark reddish-brown or blackish, ovoid, c. 4–4.5 mm long, with a ± 3-lobed apex, shortly mucronate, subequal to tepals; seeds c. 0.3–0.6 mm long, with fine longitudinal and transverse ridges discernible at fairly low magnification, minutely apiculate at one or both ends. Flowers Nov.–Mar., fruits recorded Jan.