Juncus acutiflorus
Encyclopedia
Juncus acutiflorus, also called Sharp-flowered Rush, is a rush
or a grassy plant of the genus Juncus
. As the name suggests, the plant has notable sharp-looking flower
s, flowering between July and September.
. During pollination
, new branch
es emerge from the old ones and multiply to resemble a small bush
. The flowers have various shades of warm brown and maroon. Fruits look like a small pointed capsule. It grows straight and measures about 3 feet tall. The leaves are straight, smooth and circular in section, hollow, with transverse septa making the leaf feel jointed while touching and holding.
s and woodland
s. The species is widespread in the areas of and nearby northern Ireland
.
(the Jointed Rush). Soft Rush (Juncus effusus) is a member of the Juncus
genus found growing in wet areas such as the purple moor-grass and rush pastures and fen-meadow plant associations in the United Kingdom. It is native to most continent
s. This species resembles it in its height. Juncus articulatus
is a species of rush
known by the common names 'Jointed Rush' and 'jointleaf rush'. It is native to Eurasia
and much of Canada
and the United States
. It grows in moist areas, such as wet sand, and thrives in calcareous
soils. This is a perennial herb producing a mainly erect stem from a short rhizome
. The stem may root at nodes, and it generally has one or more cylindrical leaves up to 10 centimeters long. It resembles this species as the leaves appear same, but the tepals are completely different. They are almost blackish-brown, and the main branches are often almost horizontal in the Jointed Rush.
, the species has proved to be of use. It has been discovered that chlorosis, a condition in which leaves produce insufficient chlorophyll caused by iron deficiency and commonly associated with high bicarbonate
levels in the soil, can be cured by the shoots of the species. In a Dutch
rich-fen, chlorosis has been noted in stands of Juncus acutiflorus at locations where groundwater containing high levels of nitrate
reached the surface. Experiments revealed that the chlorosis could be attributed to iron
deficiency although iron levels in the shoots were well above the known physiological threshold values for iron deficiency. Nowadays, nitrate concentrations in ground water as high 1000 µM are no longer an exception in the Netherlands
.
Juncaceae
Juncaceae, the rush family, are a monocotyledonous family of flowering plants. There are eight genera and about 400 species. Members of the Juncaceae are slow-growing, rhizomatous, herbaceous plants, and they may superficially resemble grasses. They often grow on infertile soils in a wide range...
or a grassy plant of the genus Juncus
Juncus
Juncus is a genus in the plant family Juncaceae. It consists of some 200 to 300 or more species of grassy plants commonly called rushes...
. As the name suggests, the plant has notable sharp-looking flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s, flowering between July and September.
Physical description
The plant has leaves shaped round or elliptical in cross-section, with darker horizontal lines visible against the light at intervals, like in the Jointed RushJuncus articulatus
Juncus articulatus is a species of rush known by the common name Jointleaf Rush, and more ambiguously as "Jointed Rush" which can also refer to J. kraussii from Australia . It is native to Eurasia and much of Canada and the United States. It grows in moist areas, such as wet sand, and thrives in...
. During pollination
Pollination
Pollination is the process by which pollen is transferred in plants, thereby enabling fertilisation and sexual reproduction. Pollen grains transport the male gametes to where the female gamete are contained within the carpel; in gymnosperms the pollen is directly applied to the ovule itself...
, new branch
Branch
A branch or tree branch is a woody structural member connected to but not part of the central trunk of a tree...
es emerge from the old ones and multiply to resemble a small bush
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
. The flowers have various shades of warm brown and maroon. Fruits look like a small pointed capsule. It grows straight and measures about 3 feet tall. The leaves are straight, smooth and circular in section, hollow, with transverse septa making the leaf feel jointed while touching and holding.
Ecology and habitat
The plant loves residing in watery and coastal regions, so it commonly grows in swampy wetlandWetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
s and woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
s. The species is widespread in the areas of and nearby northern Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
Similar species
The species resembles two relatives – Juncus effusus (the Soft Rush) and Juncus articulatusJuncus articulatus
Juncus articulatus is a species of rush known by the common name Jointleaf Rush, and more ambiguously as "Jointed Rush" which can also refer to J. kraussii from Australia . It is native to Eurasia and much of Canada and the United States. It grows in moist areas, such as wet sand, and thrives in...
(the Jointed Rush). Soft Rush (Juncus effusus) is a member of the Juncus
Juncus
Juncus is a genus in the plant family Juncaceae. It consists of some 200 to 300 or more species of grassy plants commonly called rushes...
genus found growing in wet areas such as the purple moor-grass and rush pastures and fen-meadow plant associations in the United Kingdom. It is native to most continent
Continent
A continent is one of several very large landmasses on Earth. They are generally identified by convention rather than any strict criteria, with seven regions commonly regarded as continents—they are : Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia.Plate tectonics is...
s. This species resembles it in its height. Juncus articulatus
Juncus articulatus
Juncus articulatus is a species of rush known by the common name Jointleaf Rush, and more ambiguously as "Jointed Rush" which can also refer to J. kraussii from Australia . It is native to Eurasia and much of Canada and the United States. It grows in moist areas, such as wet sand, and thrives in...
is a species of rush
Juncaceae
Juncaceae, the rush family, are a monocotyledonous family of flowering plants. There are eight genera and about 400 species. Members of the Juncaceae are slow-growing, rhizomatous, herbaceous plants, and they may superficially resemble grasses. They often grow on infertile soils in a wide range...
known by the common names 'Jointed Rush' and 'jointleaf rush'. It is native to Eurasia
Eurasia
Eurasia is a continent or supercontinent comprising the traditional continents of Europe and Asia ; covering about 52,990,000 km2 or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres...
and much of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It grows in moist areas, such as wet sand, and thrives in calcareous
Calcareous
Calcareous is an adjective meaning mostly or partly composed of calcium carbonate, in other words, containing lime or being chalky. The term is used in a wide variety of scientific disciplines.-In zoology:...
soils. This is a perennial herb producing a mainly erect stem from a short rhizome
Rhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes...
. The stem may root at nodes, and it generally has one or more cylindrical leaves up to 10 centimeters long. It resembles this species as the leaves appear same, but the tepals are completely different. They are almost blackish-brown, and the main branches are often almost horizontal in the Jointed Rush.
Hybrids
Two hybrids or subspecies of Sharp-flowered Rush are known – Juncus acutiflorus subsp. acutiflorus (also called Juncus acutiflorus t.infr. effusus and Juncus acutiflorus var. exoletus) and Juncus acutiflorus ssp. rugosus. They are formed by the hybridization of Sharp-flowered Rush and the smaller-sized Jointed Rush.Uses
In the field of medicineMedicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
, the species has proved to be of use. It has been discovered that chlorosis, a condition in which leaves produce insufficient chlorophyll caused by iron deficiency and commonly associated with high bicarbonate
Bicarbonate
In inorganic chemistry, bicarbonate is an intermediate form in the deprotonation of carbonic acid...
levels in the soil, can be cured by the shoots of the species. In a Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
rich-fen, chlorosis has been noted in stands of Juncus acutiflorus at locations where groundwater containing high levels of nitrate
Nitrate
The nitrate ion is a polyatomic ion with the molecular formula NO and a molecular mass of 62.0049 g/mol. It is the conjugate base of nitric acid, consisting of one central nitrogen atom surrounded by three identically-bonded oxygen atoms in a trigonal planar arrangement. The nitrate ion carries a...
reached the surface. Experiments revealed that the chlorosis could be attributed to iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
deficiency although iron levels in the shoots were well above the known physiological threshold values for iron deficiency. Nowadays, nitrate concentrations in ground water as high 1000 µM are no longer an exception in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.