Juncus kraussii

Last updated

Juncus kraussii
Juncus kraussii subsp. australiensis 11.JPG
Juncus kraussii subsp. australiensis
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Juncaceae
Genus: Juncus
Species:
J. kraussii
Binomial name
Juncus kraussii
Subspecies

Juncus kraussii subsp. austerus(Buchenau) Snogerup
Juncus kraussii subsp. australiensis(Buchenau) Snogerup
Juncus kraussii subsp. kraussii

Contents

Juncus kraussii commonly known as salt marsh rush, sea rush, jointed rush, matting rush or dune slack rush, is of the monocot family Juncaceae and genus Juncus. It grows in salt marshes, estuarine and coastal areas. [1]

This species is ideal as a stabiliser in estuary banks and riparian zones that adjoin developed areas; [2] [3] it prevents erosion and also provides an excellent fibre for weaving. [4]

The plant is named after a German naturalist and museum curator, Christian Krauss, who travelled to South Africa.

Description

This species is a tussock shaped perennial with many rhizomes. [5]

The leaves are tough, straw shaped and spine-tipped that grow to be 40 centimetres (16 in) - 150 centimetres (59 in) in length with a golden brown or shiny black sheath. The inflorescences or flowers of J. kraussii are reddish brown to purplish brown in colour, 4 centimetres (1.6 in) - 20 centimetres (7.9 in) in length and are clustered toward the end of the stem. The flowers occur clusters of three to six and flowering occurs in Summer between October and January.

Distribution and habitat

The species occurs in all states of Australia, [6] [3] New Zealand [7] Southern Africa and South America. [8]

Juncus kraussii is salt tolerant and favours a damp environment and is most often found in areas such as swamps and brackish estuaries. The plant is able to grow in a range of soils from sands to alluvium. [5]

Uses

Juncus kraussii is harvested and weaved to produce traditional sleeping mats, baskets, beer strainers, and other craftwork items in many Zulu areas of South Africa. The plant is in great demand because of its economic value and has been extensively harvested in the wild. It is now cultivated in many areas and is harvested yearly for a period of seven years in total. [4]

The stems and leaves of Juncus kraussii were used by Indigenous Australians for fibre, for string, fishing lines, woven rugs and woven baskets. It is commonly used today for stabilisation of the banks of estuaries, around salt marshes and riparian zones next to sites developed for human use. It is also used in biofiltration systems and rain gardens. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Juncaceae</span> Family of flowering plants commonly known as rushes

Juncaceae is a family of flowering plants, commonly known as the rush family. It consists of 8 genera and about 464 known species of slow-growing, rhizomatous, herbaceous monocotyledonous plants that may superficially resemble grasses and sedges. They often grow on infertile soils in a wide range of moisture conditions. The best-known and largest genus is Juncus. Most of the Juncus species grow exclusively in wetland habitats. A few rushes, such as Juncus bufonius are annuals, but most are perennials.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Port River</span> Tidal estuary north of Adelaide, South Australia

The Port River is part of a tidal estuary located north of the Adelaide city centre in the Australian state of South Australia. It has been used as a shipping channel since the beginning of European settlement of South Australia in 1836, when Colonel Light selected the site to use as a port. Before colonisation, the Port River region and the estuary area were known as Yerta Bulti by the Kaurna people, and used extensively as a source of food and plant materials to fashion artefacts used in daily life.

<i>Juncus effusus</i> Species of flowering plant in the rush family Juncaceae

Juncus effususis a perennial herbaceous flowering plant species in the rush family Juncaceae, with the common names common rush or soft rush. In North America, the common name soft rush also refers to Juncus interior.

<i>Typha latifolia</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Typhaceae

Typha latifolia, better known as broadleaf cattail, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the genus Typha. It is found as a native plant species in North and South America, Eurasia, and Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basket weaving</span> Weaving of pliable materials to make three-dimensional artifacts

Basket weaving is the process of weaving or sewing pliable materials into three-dimensional artifacts, such as baskets, mats, mesh bags or even furniture. Craftspeople and artists specialized in making baskets may be known as basket makers and basket weavers. Basket weaving is also a rural craft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Kilda, South Australia</span> Suburb of Adelaide, South Australia

St Kilda is a coastal suburb in Adelaide, South Australia. Its seafront faces the Barker Inlet, which is part of the Port River estuarine area, the largest tidal estuary of Gulf St Vincent, and includes a large area of mangroves. St Kilda is an internationally recognised bird watching area with over 100 species of birds feeding in and around the mudflats, salt lagoons, mangroves and seagrass beds, which are part of the estuarine ecosystem.

<i>Juncus acutus</i> Species of grass

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, and along the edges of ponds and lakes.

<i>Juncus articulatus</i> Species of grass

Juncus articulatus is a flowering plant species in the rush family Juncaceae. It is known by the common name jointleaf rush or jointed rush, which can also refer to J. kraussii from Australia. It is native to Eurasia, Canada, Greenland, and much of the United States. It grows in moist areas, such as wet sand, and thrives in calcareous soils. J. articulatus was found to be more sensitive to drought and salt stress than its congeners J. acutus and J. maritimus. It is a perennial herb producing mainly erect stems from a short rhizome. The stem may root at nodes, and it generally has one or more flattened hollow cylindrical leaves up to 10 centimeters long. Transverse internal partitions or joints may be seen or felt in the leaf of the plant.

<i>Juncus patens</i> Species of rush

Juncus patens is a species of rush, known by the common names spreading rush and California grey rush.

<i>Juncus textilis</i> Species of grass

Juncus textilis is a species of rush known by the common name basket rush. It is endemic to California, where it grows along the coast and in the coastal mountain ranges of the southern half of the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilson Inlet</span> Inlet south of Denmark, Western Australia

Wilson Inlet is a shallow, seasonally open estuary located on the coast of the Great Southern region of Western Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brackish marsh</span> Marsh with brackish level of salinity

Brackish marshes develop from salt marshes where a significant freshwater influx dilutes the seawater to brackish levels of salinity. This commonly happens upstream from salt marshes by estuaries of coastal rivers or near the mouths of coastal rivers with heavy freshwater discharges in the conditions of low tidal ranges.

<i>Muhlenbergia sericea</i> Species of flowering plant

Muhlenbergia sericea, synonym Muhlenbergia filipes, known as gulf hairawn muhly or sweetgrass, is a species of grass in the family Poaceae. It is native to the Southeastern United States.

<i>Juncus cooperi</i> Species of grass

Juncus cooperi is a species of rush known by the common name Cooper's rush. It is native to the deserts of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where it grows in alkaline and saline soils such as those around salt marshes and desert springs. This is a perennial herb forming large clumps of erect stems up to about 80 centimetres tall from a thick rhizome and large root network. The bases of the stems are surrounded by sparse, small leaves, which are stiff and have sharp tips. The inflorescence is a cluster of brown, pale green, or straw-colored flowers accompanied by one bract which appears as an extension of the stem.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Motu Manawa (Pollen Island) Marine Reserve</span>

Motu Manawa-Pollen Island Marine Reserve is a 501 hectares (1.93 sq mi) protected area in the Waitemata Harbour in Auckland, New Zealand, established in 1996. It includes the entire area between Rosebank Peninsula and Waterview, and surrounds Motumānawa / Pollen Island and Traherne Island. Its northeastern boundary runs roughly parallel to Rosebank Peninsula, from the mouth of the Oakley Creek estuary. Its northernmost boundary is north of Pollen Island, at the same latitude as the tip of Point Chevalier. Its westernmost point is in the mouth of the Whau River, between the tip of Rosebank Peninsula and Te Atatū. It is bisected by the Northwestern Motorway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rietvlei Wetland Reserve</span> Nature reserve in Table View, Western Cape, South Africa.

The Rietvlei Wetland Reserve is a 663-hectare (1,640-acre) nature reserve situated in Table View, Western Cape, South Africa. It is managed by the City of Cape Town's Environmental Resource Management Department.

<i>Juncus roemerianus</i> Species of flowering plant

Juncus roemerianus is a species of flowering plant in the rush family known by the common names black rush, needlerush, and black needlerush. It is native to North America, where its main distribution lies along the coastline of the southeastern United States, including the Gulf Coast. It occurs from New Jersey to Texas, with outlying populations in Connecticut, New York, Mexico, and certain Caribbean islands.

Juncus rigidus is a species of rush known by the common name sea rush. It is native to much of Africa and parts of western Asia. It is found inland and by the sea in sandy saline habitats.

<i>Juncus australis</i> Species of plant

Juncus australis is a species of rush known by the common names austral rush, leafless rush and wīwī. The species is native to south-eastern Australia and New Zealand, where it can be found around bodies of water. Its habitat is wet or seasonally wet grasslands and woodlands, and it can grow in dense and damp soil along rivers and creeks. It is a rhizomatous perennial rush that grows up to 120 centimetres tall. The plant flowers in clusters, with dense heads at the tip of the stem.

<i>Juncus inflexus</i> Species of rush

Juncus inflexus, the hard rush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Juncaceae, native to Europe, Asia and Africa, and introduced in Sri Lanka, Java, Île Amsterdam and Île Saint-Paul, Victoria in Australia, New Zealand, Uruguay, and eastern North America. It is a glycophyte (non-halophyte).

References

  1. "Birds in Backyards - Juncus kraussii". 2007. Retrieved 2008-10-28.
  2. "CPR Coastal Plant Regeneration - Juncus kraussii subsp. australiensis". 2008. Archived from the original on September 4, 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-28.
  3. 1 2 3 "Juncus kraussii". Botanic Gardens of South Australia . Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  4. 1 2 "PlantZAfrica.com - Juncus kraussii Hochst". 2006. Retrieved 2008-10-28.
  5. 1 2 "Florabase - Juncus kraussii Hochst". 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-28.
  6. "PlantNET - New South Wales Flora Online- Juncus kraussii Hochst". 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-28.
  7. Bodmin, K.A., Champion, P.D., James, T., Burton, T. (2015) New Zealand Rushes: Juncus factsheets. Hamilton: NIWA
  8. "Ezemvelo KZM Wildlife - Juncus Kraussii - Wetlands". 2008. Archived from the original on 2012-09-04. Retrieved 2008-10-28.