Juncus acutus

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Juncus acutus
Spiny rush
Spiny rush
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Poales
Family: Juncaceae
Genus: Juncus
Species: J. acutus
Binomial name
Juncus acutus[1]
L.

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[2] and on dunes[3] and is reliable for reducing erosion rates[4] yet, considered to be an invasive weed[5] and possibly dangerous for Australian children.[6]

Contents

[edit] Description

Juncus acutus is a brown and green[7] "tussocky"[6] perennial that can be to 1.5 metres (4.9 ft)[7] tall in all kinds of soils,[8] in areas which go from extremes in flood and dry like dunes[3] or that just stay wet like lowland grassland and grassy woodland, riparian vegetation, freshwater wetland, and saline and subsaline wetlands.[9]

Stems and leaves
Pith filled stems and leaves arise from the base at different angles giving the plant a globe shape. The leaves form a basal sheath around the flower stem leaves and end with a stiff sharp point.[6]
Flowers
The 2 millimetres (0.079 in) to 4 millimetres (0.16 in) diameter and 4 centimetres (1.6 in) to 13 centimetres (5.1 in) long flower stems are similar to leaves and emerge from the base at all angles and each have 1 - 6 flowers. Each flower has 6 stamens and 4 centimetres (1.6 in) to 25 centimetres (9.8 in) long bracts that terminate in a stiff and sharp point.[6] The flowers are hermaphrodite and are pollinated by the wind.[8]
Fruits and reproduction
Fruits are oval 3-celled brown capsules 4 millimetres (0.16 in) to 6 millimetres (0.24 in). The 1.2 millimetres (0.047 in) to 2 millimetres (0.079 in) long brown seeds have a tail at each end.[6]
Roots
Short[6] and robust rhizomes.[7]
Community species
In Brazil, J. Acutus has been observed on the Santa Catarina coast living in communities with:
In a natural shallow depression in the Murray River floodplain in South Australia:

[edit] Distribution

Found principally in low-lying damp, low fertility areas[9] like sandy sea shores and dune slacks and coastal flats,[9] occasionally in salt marshes[8] and disturbed saline areas, mine dumps, lowland grassland and grassy woodland, riparian vegetation, freshwater wetland, and saline and subsaline wetlands[9]

Palearctic:
Northern Africa: Algeria, Egypt, Morocco
Western Asia: Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey
Caucasus: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia
Northern Europe: United Kingdom
Southeastern Europe: Albania, Crete, Greece, Italy, Republic of Kosovo, Montenegro, Sardinia, Serbia, Sicily
Southwestern Europe: Azores, Balearic Islands, Corsica, France, Portugal, Spain
Nearctic:
Northern Mexico: Baja Norte[1]

[edit] Children

Juncus acutus
Juncus acutus

(synonyms listed below)

  • Juncus acutus ssp. leopoldii (Parl.) Snog. -- Leopold's Rush[11]
    • Juncus acutus L. var. sphaerocarpus Engelm.[12]
  • Juncus acutus L. subsp. acutus
    • Juncus spinosus Forssk. [13]

Juncus acutus ssp. leopoldii also known as Leopold's rush is a native of Arizona, California, Georgia and Nevada.[1][12]

[edit] Synonyms

  • Juncus acutus L. var. conglobatus Trautv.
  • Juncus acutus L. var. decompositus Guss.
  • Juncus acutus L. var. longibracteatus Buchenau[14]


[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) (2004-09-08). Taxon: Juncus acutus L. (HTML). Taxonomy for Plants. USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program, National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. Retrieved on 2008-04-26.
  2. ^ Baba, Alper; Ken W. F. Howard, Orhan Gunduz. "Groundwater in Semi-Arid Mediterranean Areas", Groundwater and Ecosystems (HTML), Springer Science+Business Media. ISBN 1402047363. 
  3. ^ a b c Schardosim, Alecsandro; Klein Vanilde, Citadini-Zanette, Robson dos Santos (September 2007). "Florística e estrutura comunitária de restinga herbácea no município de Araranguá, Santa Catarina" (in Portuguese). Biotemas 20 (3): 15-26. ISSN 0103 – 1643. 
  4. ^ De Baets, S.; J. Poesen, A. Knapen, G.G. Barberá, J.A. Navarro (2007). "Root characteristics of representative Mediterranean plant species and their erosion-reducing potential during concentrated runoff" (PDF). Geophysical Research Abstracts 9. European Geosciences Union. 1607-7962/gra/EGU2007-A-05497. 
  5. ^ Parsons, W. T.; E. G. Cuthbertson (2001). "FAMILY Juncaceae", Noxious Weeds of Australia (HTML), CSIRO Publishing, 712 pages. ISBN 0643065148. Retrieved on 2008-04-26. 
  6. ^ a b c d e f Australia > > Spiny Rush (HTML). Weed Identification. Australian Weeds Committee, National Weeds Strategy. Retrieved on 2008-04-20.
  7. ^ a b c Helen Coleman, FloraBase: Flora of Western Australia (2007-09-11). Juncus acutus L. (HTML). Flora Descriptions. Government of Western Australia. Retrieved on 2008-04-26.
  8. ^ a b c Juncus acutus (HTML). Species Database. Plants For A Future. Retrieved on 2008-04-25.
  9. ^ a b c d Spiny Rush (Juncus acutus) (Nox) (HTML). Victorian Resources Online. The State of Victoria, Department of Primary Industries (2008-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-04-25.
  10. ^ MERZ, SINCLAIR KNIGHT. "Loveday Swamp Data". Wetland: Loveday Swamp Final Report. South Australian Government. 
  11. ^ Juncus acutus ssp. leopoldii (TSN 524958). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved on 25 April 2008.
  12. ^ a b Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). PLANTS Profile, Juncus acutus ssp. leopoldii (HTML). The PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved on 2008-04-25.
  13. ^ Juncus acutus L. subsp. acutus record n° 41763 (HTML). African Plants Database. South African National Biodiversity Institute, the Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques de la Ville de Genève and Tela Botanica.. Retrieved on 2008-04-25.
  14. ^ Juncus acutus L. record n° 160745 (HTML). African Plants Database. South African National Biodiversity Institute, the Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques de la Ville de Genève and Tela Botanica. Retrieved on 2008-04-25.

[edit] External links