Juncus bulbosus

Tufted, sometimes shortly rhizomatous perennial, usually reddish tinged. Culms erect or decumbent, to 30 cm high, usually bulbous at base; proliferating shoots sometimes arising from nodes and/or inflorescence. Leaves mostly basal, 1–3 cauline leaves usually present; blade of basal leaves usually equal to or shorter than culms, 0.3–0.6 mm diam., with 2 or more obscure, transversely septate internal tubes; culm leaves unitubular, septate, ± compressed, to c. 1.5 mm wide; apex acute to obtuse; auricles obtuse to acute, to c. 2 mm long. Inflorescence of 3–22 clusters, each cluster composed of 2–10 (rarely to 15) flowers, c. 4–8 mm wide in fruit, flowers occasionally replaced by proliferating shoots; primary bract shorter than inflorescence; prophylls absent. Tepals curved, midrib ± reddish tinged when young, margins pale, membranous; outer tepals (2.8–)3–3.6(–4) mm long, acute; inner subequal to outer, acute or obtuse; stamens 3–6, anthers 0.3–1 mm long. Capsules light brown, ± darker in upper half, trigonous-ovoid, (2.4–)3–4 mm long, subequal to tepals, obtuse (rarely subacute) and shortly mucronate; seeds 0.4–0.6 mm long, slightly asymmetrical, finely reticulate-patterned discernible at moderately high magnification, minutely apiculate at each end. Flowers mostly Oct.–Dec., seeds shed mostly Dec.–Mar.