Diversity:  grass-like, tufted (caespitose) herbs - ca. 8 genera and 300 species.

Distribution:  Worldwide, but mostly in moist, cool places in the north temperate zone with extensions into the tropical highlands.  The Texas flora includes 2 genera (Juncus, Luzula) and 30 species in Texas with one endemic species of Juncus (see North American taxa--this page will load, but if the csdl server is down, its links will not load).

Floral structure:

Significant features:  Small, reduced flowers on grass-like (tufted or caespitose) plants but differing from taxa the Cyperales in that a perianth, while reduced and usually scarious (6 tepals) is present and the fruit is capsular and multi-seeded.

developing ovaries and perianth	infructescence with dehisced capsules and perianth	typical plant and habitat (wetland)

plant in flower	infructescence	flower (close)

More information on the Juncaceae