Juncus trifidus

Juncus trifidus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Plantae
Clade:Angiosperms
Clade:Monocots
Clade:Commelinids
Order:Poales
Family:Juncaceae
Genus:Juncus
Species: J. trifidus
Binomial name
Juncus trifidus

Juncus trifidus is a species of rush known by the common names highland rush[1] and three-leaved rush.[2] It is native to the Northern Hemisphere, where it is an arctic/montane species with an amphi-atlantic distribution.[3]:46[4]

Description

Juncus trifidus is a perennial herb with tufted stems up to 40 centimeters long, growing erect or drooping. There are a few grasslike leaf blades measuring up to 12 centimeters long. The inflorescence holds one to four flowers with brown tepals and six stamens. The fruit is a capsule a few millimeters long.[5][6] The plant reproduces sexually with its flowering structures and vegetatively via its rhizome, when it may form colonies.[7]

Habitat

This species grows in a number of habitat types, especially in alpine environments. It can be found in talus, on cliffs and ledges, fellfields, tundra, and meadows. It grows in a wide variety of heath ecosystems. The soils may be dry to moist, calcareous, and acidic.[7] They may be gravelly, sandy, and rich in iron. The plant is known as a pioneer on ski slopes and roadsides.[5] It may grow alongside many types of mosses and lichens.[7]

Distribution

Juncus trifidus is an amphi-atlantic plant,[3] native to northern and eastern Canada, including the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and other low Arctic regions, the northeastern United States, Greenland, Iceland, Scandinavia, northern Britain, and northern Asia.[5] It also occurs in the high mountains of southern Europe.[4] While not rare in general, the plant faces threats in some locations. Some populations in the Adirondacks are harmed by trampling by hikers.[8] Rush habitat on Camel's Hump and Mount Marcy also suffers from trampling disturbance.[7] Rush-dominated heath in the Cairngorms is also potentially threatened by trampling.[9]

References

  1. ↑ "Juncus trifidus". Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
  2. ↑ "BSBI List 2007". Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-01-25. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  3. 1 2 Hultén, Eric (1958). The Amphi-Atlantic Plants and their Phytogeographical Connections. Stockholm, Sweden: Almqvist and Wiksell.
  4. 1 2 Anderberg, Arne. "Juncus trifidus L." Naturhistoriska riksmuseet, Stockholm. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 Aiken, S.G., et al. 2007. Flora of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago: Descriptions, Illustrations, Identification, and Information Retrieval. NRC Research Press, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa.
  6. ↑ Juncus trifidus. Flora of North America.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Schori, M. Conservation Assessment for Highland Rush (Juncus trifidus) L. USDA Forest Service, Eastern Region. May 6, 2004.
  8. ↑ Juncus trifidus. New York Natural Heritage Program.
  9. ↑ Pryor, P. J. 1985. The effects of disturbance on open Juncus trifidus health in the Cairngorm mountains, Scotland. In: The ecological impacts of outdoor recreation on mountain areas in Europe and North America. RERG Report, Recreation Ecology Research Group, UK. No. 9 53-62.
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