Slender Rush - Juncus tenuis

Description

A slender, tufted, round stemmed plant which grows to be between 15 and 60 cm tall. The leaves of the plant nearly all come from the base and are flattened/grass-like; not nearly as tall as the stems.   Lowest 2 bracts leaf-like and much longer than the inflorescence.  

Similar Species

Other Juncus

Identification difficulty
Recording advice

Good photos, showing the habitat and detailed photos of flowering/seed head and long leafy bracts.

Habitat

Often in bare moist places such as tracksides and reservoir margins, but it is more tolerant of dry conditions than some other members of this family.

When to see it

Flowers June to September.

Life History

Perennial.

UK Status

Widespread but sometimes local in Britain and scarcer in the east of the country. A native of North America, first recorded in late 18th century and now naturalised.

VC55 Status

Occasional in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 6 of the 617 tetrads.

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2025+ | 2020-2024 | pre-2020

UK Map

Species profile

Common names
Dudley's Rush, Slender Rush, Tender Rush
Species group:
flowering plant
Kingdom:
Plantae
Order:
Poales
Family:
Juncaceae
Records on NatureSpot:
7
First record:
05/07/2013 (Nicholls, David)
Last record:
20/07/2023 (Nicholls, David)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

10km squares with records

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