E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

General:
Perennial herb from long, creeping rhizomes or stolons; stems erect, 10-35 cm tall.

Leaves:
Located on the lower parts of the stem, flat, lacking cross-walls.

Flowers:
Inflorescence of 1 to 3, dark, long-stalked, terminal heads of 3 to 10 flowers; perianth segments chestnut-brown, 3.5-6.5 mm long, egg-shaped, the outer segments equal to the inner ones or slightly longer, pointed, the inner segments blunt; stamens 6; anthers 1-1.5 mm long, shorter than the filaments; lowest bracts leaflike, about as long as the inflorescence, the upper bracts awnlike and shorter than the flowers.

Fruits:
Capsules, pointed, 1.5 times longer than the perianth segments, dark chestnut brown; seeds spindle-shaped, about 0.9 mm long, with tail-like appendages at each end.

Notes:
Two subspecies have been recognized in W North America. Juncus castaneus ssp. leucochlamys has not been reported from BC, but can be expected near the YT border:

1. Heads 1 to 3, dark, unstalked or short-stalked; lowest bract short................... ssp. Castaneus

1. Heads several, pale, long-stalked; lowest bract long................... ssp. leucochlamys (Zing. ex Krecz.) Hult.