Juncaceae FAMILY Least Concern

Juncus effusus

Edibility

1/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

Possibly toxic to mammals[ 76 Title Poisonous Plants in Britain and their Effects on Animals and Man. Publication Author Cooper. M. and Johnson. A. Publisher HMSO Year 1984 ISBN 0112425291 Description Concentrates mainly on the effects of poisonous plants to livestock. ].

Botanical Description

Juncus effusus is a herbaceous perennial plant with a grass-like appearance, growing around 50 - 150cm tall. The rhizomes are very short-noded, the plant forming a dense clump of growth[ 2126 Title Juncaceae 3: Juncus subg. Agathryon Publication Species Plantarum: Flora of the World Part 8: 1-192 Author Kirschner J. et al Publisher Year 2002 ISBN 0 642 56824 3 Description ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine, source of materials and occasionally as a food. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental, especially a form with cork-screw or twisted stems (often known as 'Spiralis') and forms with colour-banding on the stems (known as 'Zebrinus' and 'Aureus Striatus')[ 2126 Title Juncaceae 3: Juncus subg. Agathryon Publication Species Plantarum: Flora of the World Part 8: 1-192 Author Kirschner J. et al Publisher Year 2002 ISBN 0 642 56824 3 Description ]. Juncus effusus is widespread with stable populations and does not face any significant threats. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2017)[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintemperate

Native RangeProbably native in Europe, W. and C. Asia, Africa, N. America and mountains of S. America; cosmopolitan as introduced and in many places naturalized

HabitatWet pastures, bogs, damp woods etc, usually on acid soils[ 17 Title Flora of the British Isles. Publication Author Clapham, Tutin and Warburg. Publisher Cambridge University Press Year 1962 ISBN - Description A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures. ]. Wide range of wet sites, from meadows and pastures, ditches, ponds, shores etc. to mountain tracks and meadows, often forming dense stands that exclude other species[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ].