Juncus tenuis
| Juncus tenuis | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |   |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 1' |
| Blooms: | Early Summer-Early Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Medicinal Rating: | |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Juncus tenuis (common name: poverty rush)
Propagation: Seed - surface sow in pots in a cold frame in early spring and keep the compost 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.
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.
Cultivation: Easily grown in a moist soil or bog garden[1][2]. Prefers a heavy soil in sun or light shade[2].
This species is closely related to J. dudleyi[3].
The seeds become very mucilaginous and are spread by becoming attached to tractor wheels etc[3].
Range: N. America. Widely naturalized and spreading in Britain.
Habitat: Moist sandy soils in woods[4]. Naturalized in Britain where it grows along roadsides, on waste ground and by field paths[3].
Medicinal: An infusion of the plant has been given to babies to prevent lameness and also used as a wash on babies to strengthen them[5].
Usage: A string made from the plant has been used to bind up dough in oak leaves for cooking bread[5].
Pollinators: Wind
Soil: Can grow in medium and heavy soils.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known 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[6]..
Links
References
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ Diggs, George and Barney Lipscomb. Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas. Botanical Research Institute, 1999.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ Cooper, Marion. Poisonous Plants in Britain and their Effects on Animals and Man. The Stationery Office, 1984.