Species

Juncus acutiflorus

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)

sharp-flowered rush

Authority

Juncus acutiflorus Hoffm.

Family

Juncaceae

Brief Description

Upright leafy rush to 1 m 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 small clusters of 3 to 12 red brown flowers/capsules (fruit).

Flora Category

Vascular - Exotic

NVS Species Code

JUNACT

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 once from Canterbury and Waikato

Habitat

Drains and wet pasture.

Features

Tall-growing, in loose clumps or in diffuse colonies, sometimes in radiating lines of stems; rhizome stout, far-extending. Stems 30-100 cm high, stiffly erect, without internal transverse septa below inflorescence. Leaves ± compressed, conspicuously transversely-septate across whole width. Inflorescence 1-12 cm long, open, diffuse and spreading, much-branched with numerous small dark brown clusters of 3-12 flowers at end of branches, secondary branches diverging at an acute angle. Tepals 2-2.5 mm long, lanceolate, long-acuminate, outer < inner, often with recurved tips. Stamens 6. Capsule c. 3 mm long, > tepals, gradually tapering to an acute point, red-brown.

Similar Taxa

Similar to other tubular septate leaved rushes, but forms stiffly erect clumps (the tallest of this group), many branched with 3-12 acute-tipped red-brown capsules, with secondary branches being acutely angled.

Flowering

Summer

Flower Colours

Brown

Fruiting

Autumn

Year Naturalised

1953

Origin

Eurasia

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 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.

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