Juncus himalensis Klotzsch

Plants perennial, 30--70 cm tall, stoloniferous; rhizomes short. Stems terete, 1--2.5 mm in diam., striate. Cataphylls 1 or 2, brownish. Basal leaves 3 or 4, cauline leaves 1 or 2; leaf sheath reddish brown at base, auricles obtuse, membranous, free part ca. 1 × 2 mm; leaf blade terete, adaxially channeled, 14--30 cm × 2--5 mm, margin sometimes involute and finely serrate, apex acuminate. Inflorescences terminal, usually 3--5-branched, 5--11 cm; involucral bracts 1 or 2, linear-lanceolate, 4--10(--20) cm; heads 3--7 or more, 6--10 mm in diam., 3--8-flowered. Pedicels 1.3--2 mm. Perianth segments brown to pale brown, narrowly lanceolate, 5--6 × 1.5--1.8 mm, subequal or inner ones shorter than outer, apex acute. Stamens 6; filaments 2.5--3.5 mm; anthers 1--1.5 mm. Style ca. 1 mm, stigmas 1.9--2.5 mm. Capsule chestnut brown, trigonous oblong, 6.5--7.5 mm, imperfectly 3-septate, apex beaked; beak 0.7--1.5 mm. Seeds 0.5--1 mm, both ends appendaged; appendages white, 1.2--1.5 mm. Fl. Jun--Jul, fr. Jul.

Himalaya (Kashmir to Bhutan), Tibet.

Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan [Bhutan, India, Kashmir, Nepal, Pakistan, Sikkim, Tajikistan].

3200-5200 m

Meadows on slopes, gravelly stream banks, wet places in river valleys, among rocks in moist soil; 2400--4300 m.

Juncus exploratorum E. Walker; J. himalensis var. schlagintweitii (Buchenau) Buchenau; J. schlagintweitii Buchenau.