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Juncaceae FAMILY

Juncus tenuis

Juncus tenuis

Edibility
0/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

Although no reports of toxicity have been seen for this species, there is a report that one member of this genus is possibly toxic to mammals[1].

Cultivation Details

HabitPerennial
Growth—

Easily grown in a moist soil or bog garden[2, 3]. Prefers a heavy soil in sun or light shade[3]. In the wild plants grow on slightly acid, more or less base-deficient soils of clayey, loamy or gritty texture[4].. This species is closely related to Juncus dudleyi[5]. The outer layer of the seed testa becomes mucilaginous and swells enormously if it becomes wet. The swelling seedmass often forces the seed capsule open. During rainy weather the large slimy transparent masses of seeds, which resemble frog’s spawn, adhere to the dehisced capsules[4]. The wet seeds are very sticky and are readily spread on the feet of people, mammals and birds, and on the tyres of vehicles.[5, 4].

Propagation

Seed - can be sown in situ. If sown as soon as ripe the seed may germinate immediately or it might delay until the spring[4]. The seed can also be surface sown in pots in a cold frame in early spring and the compost kept moist. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer if they have grown sufficiently, otherwise in late spring of the following year. Seed can remain dormant for two or more yeas[4]. Division in spring. Very easy, larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Juncus+tenuis>

Pollinators

Wind

References

  1. [1]Poisonous Plants in Britain and their Effects on Animals and Man. — Cooper. M. and Johnson. A. · HMSO · 1984 · ISBN 0112425291 ↩︎Concentrates mainly on the effects of poisonous plants to livestock.
  2. [2]RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 — F. Chittendon. · Oxford University Press · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]).
  3. [3]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  4. [4]Invasive Species Compendium — http://www.cabi.org ↩︎An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc).
  5. [5]Flora of the British Isles. — Clapham, Tutin and Warburg. · Cambridge University Press · 1962 · ISBN - ↩︎A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
  6. [6]Juncaceae 3: Juncus subg. Agathryon — Kirschner J. et al · 2002 · ISBN 0 642 56824 3 ↩︎
  7. [7]Native American Ethnobotany — Moerman. D. · Timber Press. Oregon. · 1998 · ISBN 0-88192-453-9 ↩︎Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.