Plants
Coastal Preserves
;)
;)
Juncus roemerianus Scheele
Black Needlerush
Scientific Name: Juncus roemerianus Scheele
Common Name: Black Needlerush, Needlerush, Black Rush, Needlegrass Rush
Family: Juncacea (Rush Family)
Stems:
- Stem tips very sharp-pointed and stout (some "stems" in this species are actually leaves that are rounded so tightly that they appear to be very sharp-pointed stems)
- Stems grow up to 5 feet tall, grayish green
Leaves: Stem-like, long, stiff, round, with very sharp points
Inflorescence: Stiff, erect branches, flowers at tips of branches and branchlets up to 12 cm long
- Two types: perfect flowers only or pistillate flowers only
- Pistillate flowered plants produce more viable seeds than perfect flowered plants
Flowering Time: Late January - May, peaks in March
Habitat: Salt-loving, leafless rush, covers large areas in coastal salt and brackish tidal marshes
Wetland Indicator: Obligate Wetland
Origin: Native to the U.S.
Other Information:
- Recognizable by characteristic grayish green to blackish hues
- Seed capsules in clusters of 2-6, 3-sided, dark brown, shiny
Description from Grasses, Sedges, and Rushes of Wetlands (Ramey, 2001).
Coastal Preserves Plant Gallery