Juncus

Juncus is a genus in the plant family Juncaceae. It consists of 225 to 300 species of grassy plants commonly called rushes. They occur in all wet regions of the world, but rarely in the tropics. Many are considered weeds in gardening, and few are used as ornamental plants.


Selected species
Juncus actus or spiny rush, sharp rush or sharp-pointed rush is of the monocot family Juncaceae and genus Juncus. It grows in salt marshes and on dunes and is reliable for reducing erosion rates yet, considered to be an invasive weed and possibly dangerous for Australian children.

Juncus articulatus is a species of rush known by the common names jointed rush and jointleaf rush. It is native to Eurasia and much of Canada and the United States. It grows in moist areas, such as wet sand, and thrives in calcareous soils. This is a perennial herb producing a mainly erect stem from a short rhizome. The stem may root at nodes, and it generally has one or more cylindrical leaves up to 10 centimeters long.

Juncus mertensianus is a species of rush known by the common name Mertens' rush. It is native to much of western North America from Alaska to Saskatchewan to New Mexico, where it grows in wet mountainous areas such as riverbanks and alpine meadows. This is a clumping perennial herb growing from a vertical rhizome. Its smooth, flat stems grow to a maximum height near 40 centimeters. Its few leaves are located at the base and also along the stem. The inflorescence is made up of usually one cluster of many flowers. Each flower has shiny dark brown to black tepals 3 to 4 millimeters long, six stamens with yellowish anthers, and long reddish stigmas. The fruit is an oblong capsule.

Juncus mexicanus is a species of rush known by the common name Mexican rush. It is native to the southwestern quadrant of the United States and parts of Mexico and Central and South America. It is a plant of moist areas in a great number of habitats, from coast to desert to mountain and low to high elevation. This is a rhizomatous perennial herb which varies in appearance. The thin erect stems reach a maximum height anywhere from 10 to 80 centimeters. The leaves grow from the base of the stem and can exceed 20 centimeters in length. The inflorescence usually sprouts from the side of the stem rather than the tip. The flowers grow on long peduncles. Each individual flower has thick tepals with longitudinal stripes which vary in color from bright to dark. It has six stamens with very large anthers, and long stigmas.

Juncus nevadensis is a species of rush known by the common name Sierra rush. It is native to much of western North America from British Columbia to New Mexico, where it grows in wet areas in many habitat types. This is a rhizomatous perennial herb which varies in appearance. Its thin, smooth stems reach a maximum height between 10 and 70 centimeters. The thin green leaves may be up to 30 centimeters long. The inflorescences generally contain a number of flowers, with each flower bearing dark to very light brown tepals, six stamens with large anthers, and very long stigmas. The fruit is a shiny chestnut brown capsule.

Juncus occidentalis is a species of rush known by the common name western rush. It is native to the western United States, where it grows in wet areas in many types of habitat. This is a bunching perennial herb with thin, stiff stems reaching maximum heights between 30 and 60 centimeters. The wispy leaves grow from the base of the stem and may approach half the stem's length. The inflorescence holds loose bundles of individual flowers and there is usually one long, leaflike bract extending far past the flowers. Each flower has green-striped brownish to reddish tepals each several millimeters long, and six stamens with small anthers. The fruit is a brown capsule which grows encased within the tepals.

Juncus bufonius, known commonly as toad rush, is a common species of rush found worldwide. It grows in moist and muddy places and is considered a weed in many areas. This is an annual monocot that is quite variable in appearance. It is sometimes described as a complex of variants labeled with one species name. It is generally a green clumping grasslike rush with many thin stems wrapped with few threadlike leaves. The flowers are borne in inflorescences and also in the joint where the inflorescence branches off of the stem. The grassy flower is folded within tough bracts and sepals.

Juncus patens is a species of rush known by the common name spreading rush. It is native to the western United States from Washington to California, and its range may extend into Mexico. It grows in marshes and other wet areas. This is a perennial herb forming narrow, erect bunches of stems. The stems are thin, gray-green, often somewhat waxy, and grooved, and grow 30 to 90 centimeters in maximum height. The leaves have no blades; they appear as brown sheaths around the base of the stems. The inflorescence sprouts from the side of the stem rather than its tip. It holds many flowers, each of which has short, narrow, pointed tepals and six stamens. The fruit is a spherical red or brown capsule which fills and bulges from the dried flower remnants when mature.

Juncus confusus is a species of rush known by the common name Colorado rush. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to northern California to Colorado, where it grows in coniferous forests and wet, grassy areas such as mountain meadows. It is a bunching rhizomatous perennial herb which grows to a maximum height between 30 and 50 centimeters. Its thready leaves grow from the base of the light green stems to about 15 centimeters long. The inflorescence atop the stem is an array of individual flowers and there is a long bract at the base which may be up to 8 centimeters in length. Each flower has long, pointed tepals with dark and light longitudinal stripes and membranous, translucent borders. There are six stamens. The fruit is a light to dark brown oval-shaped or rounded capsule.

Juncus rugulosus is a species of rush known by the common name wrinkled rush.

Juncus drummondii is a species of rush known by the common name Drummond's rush. It is native to western North America from northern Canada and Alaska to New Mexico, where it grows in wet coniferous forest and alpine meadows and slopes. This is a perennial herb forming narrow, erect tufts to about 40 centimeters in maximum height. The leaves are basal and most have no real blades; instead they form a sheath around the stem a few centimeters long. The inflorescence is borne on the side of the stem toward the top. There is a long, cylindrical bract at the base which extends out past the flowers. Each flower is on a thin pedicel. The thick tepals are dark brown, sometimes with green striping and thin, transparent edges. There are six stamens with yellowish anthers, and red stigmas. The fruit is a capsule.

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