Juncus acutus

Juncus acutus, the spiny rush, sharp rush or sharp-pointed rush, is a flowering plant in the monocot family Juncaceae. It is native to the Americas, Northern and Southern Africa, Western and Southern Europe and West Asia, and is found in a variety of wet habitats, such as bogs, fens, meadows, and salt marshes,[2] and along the edges of ponds and lakes.[3][4]

Juncus acutus
Lake Walyungup, Rockingham Lakes Regional Park
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Juncaceae
Genus: Juncus
Species:
J. acutus
Binomial name
Juncus acutus

The sharp-pointed rush is a perennial plant that grows to a height of about 60 to 100 centimeters (24 to 39 inches). It has slender, cylindrical stems with narrow, pointed leaves and clusters of small, light brown flowers that bloom in the summer.

This species is important for a variety of reasons. It provides habitat and food for a range of wetland animals, including insects, birds, and mammals. It is also an important component of wetland ecosystems, helping to prevent soil erosion and maintain water quality. In some countries like Australia it is considered to be an invasive weed[5] and the spines harmful to young children.[6]

In addition, sharp-pointed rush has been used for a variety of purposes, including as a source of fiber for making paper, baskets, and other woven products, and for medicinal purposes. The plant has also been used for landscaping and erosion control,[7] as well as for ornamental purposes in gardens and wildflower meadows.

Despite its ecological and cultural significance, Juncus acutus is considered to be of least concern in terms of conservation, as it is widely distributed and not currently threatened by habitat loss or other factors. However, continued conservation efforts are necessary to protect this species and its habitat and ensure its long-term survival.

Synonyms
  • Juncus acutus ssp. leopoldii (Parl.) Snog. -- Leopold's rush[8]
  • Juncus acutus L. var. sphaerocarpus Engelm[9]
  • Juncus acutus L. subsp. acutus
  • Juncus spinosus Forssk[10]
  • Juncus acutus ssp. leopoldii also known as Leopold's rush is a native of Arizona, California, Georgia and Nevada.[1][9]
  • Juncus acutus L. var. conglobatus Trautv
  • Juncus acutus L. var. decompositus Guss
  • Juncus acutus L. var. longibracteatus Buchenau[11]

Description

Juncus acutus is a brown and green[12] tussock-forming[6] perennial that can grow to 1.5 metres (4.9 ft)[12] tall in all kinds of soils,[13] in areas which go from extremes in flood and dry like dunes[4] or that just stay wet like lowland grassland and grassy woodland, riparian vegetation, freshwater wetland, and saline and subsaline wetlands.[14]

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 flower stems are 2 millimetres (0.079 in) to 4 millimetres (0.16 in) in diameter and 4 centimetres (1.6 in) to 13 centimetres (5.1 in) long and are similar to the leaves. They 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.[13]
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.[12]
  • Habit
    Habit
  • Inflorescence
    Inflorescence
  • Sharp leaf tip of Juncus acutus
    Sharp leaf tip of Juncus acutus

Distribution

Found principally in low-lying damp, low fertility areas[14] like sandy sea shores and dune slacks and coastal flats,[14] occasionally in salt marshes[13] and disturbed saline areas, mine dumps, lowland grassland and grassy woodland, riparian vegetation, freshwater wetland, and saline and subsaline wetlands[14]

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

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:

Chemistry

The dimeric phenanthrenoid 8,8'-bidehydrojuncusol and the monomeric juncusol[15] and dehydrojuncusol can be isolated from J. acutus.[16]

References
  1. "Juncus acutus". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2008-04-26.
  2. Baba, A.; Howard, K.W.F.; Orhan, G. (2006). "Groundwater in Semi-Arid Mediterranean Areas". Groundwater and Ecosystems. Springer Science+Business Media. ISBN 1-4020-4736-3.
  3. "Juncus acutus". www.worldplants.de. World Plants: Complete Plant List. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  4. Schardosim, Alecsandro; Klein, Vanilde; Citadini-Zanette, Robson dos Santos (September 2007). "Florística e estrutura comunitária de restinga herbácea no município de Araranguá, Santa Catarina". Biotemas (in Portuguese). 20 (3): 15–26. – 1643. Retrieved 2015-06-07.
  5. Parsons, W. T.; Cuthbertson, E. G. (2001). "FAMILY Juncaceae". Noxious Weeds of Australia. CSIRO Publishing. pp. 712 pages. ISBN 0-643-06514-8. Retrieved 2008-04-26.
  6. "Australia Spiny Rush". Weed Identification. Australian Weeds Committee, National Weeds Strategy. Archived from the original on 2008-09-20. Retrieved 2008-04-20.
  7. De Baets, S.; Poesen, J.; Knapen, A.; Barberá, G.G.; Navarro, J.A. (2007). "Root characteristics of representative Mediterranean plant species and their erosion-reducing potential during concentrated runoff" (PDF). Geophysical Research Abstracts. European Geosciences Union. 9. ISSN 1607-7962. Retrieved 2008-04-26.
  8. "Juncus acutus ssp. leopoldii". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 25 April 2008.
  9. Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). "PLANTS Profile, Juncus acutus ssp. leopoldii". The PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2008-04-25.
  10. "Juncus acutus L. subsp. acutus record n° 41763". African Plants Database. South African National Biodiversity Institute, the Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques de la Ville de Genève and Tela Botanica. Archived from the original on 2013-01-16. Retrieved 2008-04-25.
  11. "Juncus acutus L. record n° 160745". African Plants Database. South African National Biodiversity Institute, the Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques de la Ville de Genève and Tela Botanica. Archived from the original on 2013-01-16. Retrieved 2008-04-25.
  12. Helen Coleman, FloraBase: Flora of Western Australia (2007-09-11). "Juncus acutus L." Flora Descriptions. Government of Western Australia. Retrieved 2008-04-26.
  13. "Juncus acutus". Species Database. Plants For A Future. Retrieved 2008-04-25.
  14. "Spiny Rush (Juncus acutus) (Nox)". Victorian Resources Online. The State of Victoria, Department of Primary Industries. 2008-05-03. Retrieved 2008-04-25.
  15. Fathi Abdelmohsen Abdelhalim Behery; Zain Elabdin Metwally Naeem; Galal Taha Maatooq; Mohamed Mahmoud Abdelfattah Amer; Zhi-Hong Wen; Jyh-Horng Sheu; Atallah Fouad Ahmed (2007). "Phenanthrenoids from Juncus acutus L., New Natural Lipopolysaccharide-Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase Inhibitors". Chemical and Pharmaceutical Bulletin. 55 (8): 1264–1266. doi:10.1248/cpb.55.1264. PMID 17666857.
  16. Behery, FA; Naeem, ZE; Maatooq, GT; Amer, MM; Ahmed, AF (2013). "A novel antioxidant phenanthrenoid dimer from Juncus acutus L.". Nat Prod Res. 27 (2): 155–163. doi:10.1080/14786419.2012.662759. PMID 22360833. S2CID 24392241.
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