Juncaceae is a family offlowering plants, commonly known as therush family. It consists of 7genera[2] and about 464 knownspecies[3] of slow-growing,rhizomatous,herbaceousmonocotyledonous plants that may superficially resemblegrasses andsedges. They often grow on infertile soils in a wide range of moisture conditions. The best-known and largest genus isJuncus. Most of theJuncus species grow exclusively in wetland habitats. A few rushes, such asJuncus bufonius areannuals, but most areperennials. Despite the apparent similarity, Juncaceae are not counted among the plants with the vernacular namebulrush.
Theleaves areevergreen and well-developed in a basal aggregation on an erect stem. They are alternate and tristichous (i.e., with three rows of leaves up the stem, each row of leaves arising one-third of the way around the stem from the previous leaf).[citation needed] Only in the genusDistichia are the leaves distichous. The rushes of the genusJuncus have flat, hairless leaves or cylindrical leaves. The leaves of the wood-rushes of the genusLuzula are always flat and bear long white hairs.
The plants are bisexual or, rarely,dioecious. The smallflowers are arranged ininflorescences of loosecymes, but also in rather dense heads orcorymbs at the top of the stem or at its side. This family typically has reducedperianth segments calledtepals. These are usually arranged in twowhorls, each containing three thin, papery tepals. They are not bright or flashy in appearance, and their color can vary from greenish to whitish, brown, purple, black, or hyaline. The threestigmas are in the center of the flowers. As is characteristic of monocots, all of the flower parts appear in multiples of three.
The driedpith of some species of this family with continuous pith is used to make a lighting implement known as arushlight.[4]
Thecommon rush (Juncus effusus) is calledigusa inJapanese and is used to weave the soft surface cover oftatami mats.[5]
Inmedieval Europe, loose fresh rushes would be strewn on earthen floors in dwellings for cleanliness and insulation. Particularly favored for such a purpose wasAcorus calamus (sweet flag), but despite its alternate vernacular name "sweet rush", it is a plant from a differentmonocotorder,Acorales.[6] Up until the 1960s inIreland, rushes were spread on the earthen floor of homes during wet weather to help keep the floor dry during periods of snow or rain, or during hot weather to keep rooms cool. Rushes used in Ireland includedJuncus effusus,Juncus inflexus, andJuncus conglomeratus.[4]
^"Structure of Tatami".kyo-tatami.com. Motoyama Tatami Shop. 2015-06-28.Archived from the original on 2018-03-19. Retrieved14 June 2021.
^Burton, Alfred.Rush-bearing: An Account of the Old Custom of Strewing Rushes: Carrying Rushes to Church; The Rush-Cart; Garlands in Churches; Morris-Dancers; The Wakes; The Rush. Manchester: Brook & Chrystal, 1891; pp. 1-12
