Species

Juncus conglomeratus

Etymology

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

Common Name(s)

soft rush

Authority

Juncus conglomeratus L.

Family

Juncaceae

Brief Description

Upright clump-forming leafless rush to 80 cm tall, with tall cylindrical stems, with tightly clustered spherical flowerheads near the end of each stem, made up of many red-brown flowers/capsules (fruit).

Flora Category

Vascular - Exotic

NVS Species Code

JUNCON

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

Tasman to Southland.

Habitat

Lake margins, roadside drains and wet pasture.

Features

Erect clumps; rhizomes short. Stems 30-80 cm × 1.5-3 mm, soft and easily split, grey-green, dull, prominently ridged especially just below inflorescence, pith continuous, cobwebby. Basal sheaths brownish-red, not shining. Inflorescence a ± spherical head c. 1 cm long, base of subtending floral bract conspicuously red-tinged and expanded to a wide opening through which inflorescence emerges. Flowers very crowded. Tepals 2-2.5 mm long, ± equal, acuminate. Stamens 3. Capsule c. 2 mm long, ± = tepals, ovoid-oblong, flattened at top, reddish-brown.

Similar Taxa

Similar to other tall leafless rushes, but has a dense single flower cluster, with an expanded floral bract behind it and conspicuous ridges on the stem beneath the inflorescence.

Flowering

Spring to early summer

Flower Colours

Brown

Fruiting

Summer to autumn

Year Naturalised

1930

Origin

Europe, Western Asia Northwestern Africa and 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 Agathyron, Section Juncotypus (Genuini) Kirschner (2002: Juncaceae 3)

Attribution

Factsheet prepared by Paul Champion and Deborah Hofstra (NIWA). Feature 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

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

Kirschner, J. (compiler) (2002).  Juncaceae 3: Juncus subg. Agathryon, Species Plantarum:  Flora of the World Part 8: 1-192.

This page last updated on 5 Jun 2014