Juncus tenuis

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Monocots
Cladus: Commelinids
Ordo: Poales

Familia: Juncaceae
Genus: Juncus
Species: Juncus tenuis
Name

Juncus tenuis Willd., 1799
Synonyms

Juncus bicornis Michx.
Juncus bicornis var. williamsii (Fernald) Vict.
Juncus chloroticus Schult. & Schult.f.
Juncus germanorum Steud.
Juncus gesneri Sm. [Illegitimate]
Juncus gracilis Sm. [Illegitimate]
Juncus involucratus Kirk [Illegitimate]
Juncus lucidus Hochst.
Juncus macer Gray
Juncus macer f. williamsii (Fernald) F.J.Herm.
Juncus macer var. williamsii (Fernald) Fernald
Juncus smithii Kunth [Illegitimate]
Juncus tenuis var. bicornis (Michx.) E.Mey.
Juncus tenuis subsp. bicornis (Michx.) P.Fourn.
Juncus tenuis var. germanorum (Steud.) Rouy
Juncus tenuis var. laxiflorus Fiek
Juncus tenuis var. multicornis E.Mey.
Juncus tenuis var. nakaii Satake
Juncus tenuis var. tenuis
Juncus tenuis f. tenuis
Juncus tenuis f. victorinii Raymond
Juncus tenuis f. williamsii (Fernald) F.J.Herm.
Juncus tenuis var. williamsii Fernald
Juncus tristanianus Hemsl.
Juncus vacillans Steud.

References

Species Plantarum. Editio quarta 2(1): 214 (1799)

Links

International Plant Names Index. 2017. Juncus tenuis. Published online. Accessed: Sep 25 2017.
The Plant List 2013. Juncus tenuis in The Plant List Version 1.1. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2017 Sep 25.
Tropicos.org 2017. Juncus tenuis. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published on the internet. Accessed: 25 Sep 2017.
USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN) [Online Database]. [1]

Vernacular names
Deutsch: Zarte Binse
English: Slender rush
suomi: Nurmivihvilä
日本語: クサイ
Nederlands: Tengere Rus
polski: Sit chudy

Juncus tenuis, the slender rush, is a clump-forming, round-stemmed perennial in the Juncaceae (rush family). Slender rush grows to be between 15 and 60 cm tall. Generally considered a weed, it is rarely sold by retailers as a household container plant. Where it is introduced, it is colloquially called path rush, field rush, slender yard rush, poverty rush or wiregrass.

The leaves of the plant all come from the base and are not nearly as tall as the stems. The stems are partly covered by sheaths, and have the most distinctive characteristic of the plant on them: clusters or cymes at the top. These cymes consist of branches that have small egg-shaped seed capsules at the end of them. The seeds split into three parts when they become ripe. The plant also spreads via rhizomatous root growth.
Habitat

Slender rush grows in landscapes, crops, roadsides, and all types of fields. It can grow on both wet and dry sites, in soils consisting mainly of sand or clay. Because of its high tolerance of compacted soils, it can outcompete other plant species in such places, hence the name "path rush". It is native throughout all fifty states of United States, most of Canada, and parts of northern Europe.
References

Richard H. Uva, Joseph C. Neal and Joseph M. Ditomaso, Weeds of The Northeast, (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1997), pp. 28–29.
USDA | NRCS, Plants Profile for Juncus tenuis
Missouri Botanical Garden, Juncus tenuis
Dr. John Hilty, Path Rush
Niche Gardens, Juncus tenuis
eFloras, Path rush