阿勒泰灯心草 a le tai deng xin cao

Plants annual, ca. 16 cm tall including inflorescences. Stems striate. Basal leaf 1, cauline leaves sometimes present and similar to basal one; leaf sheath auricles absent; leaf blade linear, 3--4 cm, margin narrowly scarious, apex acute. Inflorescences 2/3--4/5 × plant height; branches few, ascending, somewhat arcuate, usually weak; involucral bract 3--5 cm, shorter than inflorescence. Flowers usually many, secund, subsessile. Bracteoles 2, broadly ovate, 1.6--2 mm. Perianth segments yellowish green, lanceolate, unequal; outer segments ca. 5.5 × 1.5 mm, apex acute; inner segments ca. 4.8 × 1.1 mm, apex subobtuse. Stamens 6; filaments 1.2--1.4 mm; anthers 0.9--1.2 mm. Ovary 3-loculed. Style ca. 0.8 mm; stigmas ca. 1.5 mm. Capsule purplish red at maturity, trigonous ellipsoid, 3.8--4 mm, apex shortly mucronate. Seeds (immature) chestnut brown, ellipsoid. Fl. Jun--Jul, fr. Jul--Aug.

* Sandy soil near small streams; ca. 600 m. Xinjiang.

This species is close to Juncus bufonius or possibly J. erythropodus V. I. Kreczetowicz. Further study is needed to determine the relationships.