Species

Juncus canadensis

Etymology

Juncus: From the Latin jungere 'to tie or bind', the stems of some species being used to make cord (Johnson and Smith)
canadensis: Of Canada

Common Name(s)

tailed-seeded rush, Canada rush

Authority

Juncus canadensis Gay

Family

Juncaceae

Brief Description

Stiffly upright leafy rush to 90 cm tall, leaves round with internal cross walls (feels like clicks if you hold base of leaf between finger and thumb and slide up), plant green with branched flowerheads made up of many clusters of 5 to 20 pale brown flowers/capsules (fruit).

Flora Category

Vascular - Exotic

NVS Species Code

JUNCAN

The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.

Structural Class

Rushes and Allied Plants

Distribution

Common in Westland, also recorded from Canterbury and once from the Central Volcanic Plateau of the North Island.

Habitat

Swamps, wet pasture, gravels and drains.

Features

Densely erect tufted perennial. Stems 15-90 cm high, with several cauline leaves, distinctly septate internally just below inflorescence. Leaves terete transversely septate. Inflorescence variable, (2) 4-12 (18) cm long, with 5-12-flowered clusters at ends of branches and in branch forks. Tepals 3.5-4 mm long, ± equal, very narrow, rigid, acuminate. Stamens 3. Capsules 3-4.5 mm long, = or slightly > tepals, narrow to a short beak, red-brown. Seeds distinctly tailed.

Similar Taxa

Similar to other tubular septate leaved rushes, but only J. canadensis and J. acuminatus have septate stems beneath the inflorescence. J. acuminatus does not have tailed seeds, has smaller capsules and is usually reddish tinged not bright green.

Flowering

Summer

Flower Colours

Brown

Fruiting

Autumn

Year Naturalised

1936

Origin

North America

Reason for Introduction

Unknown, seed or soil contaminant.

Control Techniques

Not controlled in New Zealand.

Life Cycle and Dispersal

Seed dispersed by animals, water or contaminated machinery.

Notes on taxonomy

Subgenus Juncus, Section Ozophyllum (Septati) Kirschner (2002: Juncaceae 2)

Attribution

Factsheet prepared by Paul Champion and Deborah Hofstra (NIWA). Features description from Healy and Edgar (1980).

References and further reading

Healy, A.J.; Edgar, E.  (1980). Flora of New Zealand, Volume III.  Adventive Cyperaceous, Petalous and Spathaceous Monocotyledons.  Government Printer, Wellington.  220pp.

Johnson PN, Brooke PA (1989).  Wetland plants in New Zealand.   DSIR Field Guide, DSIR Publishing, Wellington. 319pp.

Johnson, A. T. and Smith, H. A (1986). Plant Names Simplified: Their pronunciation, derivation and meaning. Landsman Bookshop Ltd: Buckenhill, UK.

Champion et al (2012). Freshwater Pests of New Zealand.  NIWA publication. http://www.niwa.co.nz/freshwater-and-estuaries/management-tools/identification-guides-and-fact-sheets/freshwater-pest-species

Kirschner, J. (compiler) (2002).  Juncaceae 2: Juncus subg. Juncus, Species Plantarum:  Flora of the World Part 7: 1-336. 

Healy, A.J.  (1982). Identification of weeds and clovers.  New Zealand Weed and Pest Control Society Publication.  Editorial Services Limited, Featherston.  299pp.

This page last updated on 5 Jun 2014