Juncus gerardii
Synonyms
Agathryon gerardii (Loisel.) Záveská Drábková & Proćków
Family
Juncaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Exotic
Structural class
Rushes & Allied Plants
NVS code
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.
JUNGRD
Conservation status
Not applicable
Habitat
Aquatic: Emergent.
Wetland plant indicator status rating
Information derived from the revised national wetland plant list prepared to assist councils in delineating and monitoring wetlands (Clarkson et al., 2021 Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research Contract Report LC3975 for Hawke’s Bay Regional Council). The national plant list categorises plants by the extent to which they are found in wetlands and not ‘drylands’. The indicator status ratings are OBL (obligate wetland), FACW (facultative wetland), FAC (facultative), FACU (facultative upland), and UPL (obligate upland). If you have suggestions for the Wetland Indicator Status Rating, please contact: [Enable JavaScript to view protected content]
FACW: Facultative Wetland
Usually is a hydrophyte but occasionally found in uplands (non-wetlands).
Detailed description
Sward forming rush with black rhizomes and erect tufts of dull green leaves, to 20 cm long and 1 mm wide. Leaves stiff and wiry with small, rounded auricles. Stems 40–80 cm tall. Flowers spread out on open fan-shaped branchlets; 3–4 mm long with dark tepals; hooded at tip. Capsules light brown, broad, about equal to tepals.
Similar taxa
Distinguished by the large patches formed in salt marshes, and the far-reaching black rhizomes, and dark brown to black, blunt-tipped tepals
Flower colours
Brown, Red/Pink
Year naturalised
1891
Origin
Europe, Asia, N. Africa, N. America
Reason for introduction
Accidental
Etymology
juncus: From the Latin jungere ‘to tie or bind’, the stems of some species being used to make cord (Johnson and Smith)
Taxonomic notes
Proćków et al. (2023) proposed a taxonomic segregation of Juncus into six genera based on molecular and morphological evidence. Whilst it has long been recognised that the current circumscription of Juncus includes morphologically divergent taxa—reflected in the recognition of numerous subgenera and sections—the consensus view of the NZPCN website taxonomy subcommittee, taking into consideration advice from Australian Juncus expert Dr Karen Wilson (NSW Herbarium) and others in Europe is that the generic segregations proposed need further consideration and testing. Accordingly, it has been decided to maintain the current broad circumscription of Juncus, but to include all new names as synonyms in factsheets. We thank, in particular, Dr Wilson for her helpful comments.
References and further reading
Johnson, A. T. and Smith, H. A. 1986. Plant Names Simplified: Their pronunciation, derivation and meaning. Landsman Bookshop Ltd, Buckenhill, UK.
Proćków, J., Záveská Drábková, L. 2023. A revision of the Juncaceae with delimitation of six new genera: nomenclatural changes in Juncus. Phytotaxa 622(1): 17–41.