Species

Juncus microcephalus

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)

South American rush

Authority

Juncus microcephalus Kunth

Family

Juncaceae

Brief Description

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 with branched flowerheads made up of many heads of 4 to 10 reddish brown flowers/capsules (fruit).

Flora Category

Vascular - Exotic

NVS Species Code

JUNMIC

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 throughout the North Island and northern South Island, usually lowland.

Habitat

Aquatic: Emergent.

Features

Loosely or densely tufted perennial, bronze or occasionally red-purple at base. Stems 15-90 cm high, without internal transverse septa below inflorescence. Leaves terete or ± compressed, transversely-septate with septa usually evident externally. Inflorescence 6-24 cm long, very variable, open, much-branched, with 3-8-flowered clusters at ends of branches. Tepals 3-3.5 mm long, all ± equal, broad, acute. Stamens 6. Capsule 2.5-3.5 mm long, < to ± = tepals, broad, depressed at top, minutely mucronate, reddish-brown.

Similar Taxa

Similar to other tubular septate leaved rushes, but is taller and stouter than most other species (except J. acutiflorus) and has flat topped casules with a mucronate tip.

Flowering

Spring to early summer

Flower Colours

Brown

Fruiting

Summer to autumn

Year Naturalised

1790

Origin

South 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

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 2: Juncus subg. Juncus, Species Plantarum:  Flora of the World Part 7: 1-336. 

This page last updated on 5 Jun 2014