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Soft rush is a perennial wetland plant that grows in a clump or tussock and spreads by vigorous underground rhizomes. The bright green stems (there are no leaves) are cylindrical, without nodes, rather soft, and taper to a bristle. They are smooth or slightly striated. The clump is erect or slightly arching and usually stands a little less than 3 ft (0.9 m) tall. The flowers and fruits are borne in compact clusters that appear to emerge laterally a few inches below the tip of the flowering stem. Actually, the inflorescence emerges from the tip of the stem but a bract extends beyond and looks like a continuation of the stem. Several selections for horticultural use have been named. Juncus effusus 'Spiralis' (corkscrew rush) is low growing with strongly spiraling stems. The foliage of 'Cuckoo' has longitudinal yellow stripes, while 'Vittatus' has narrow creamy white bands, and 'Zebrinus' has broad white bands.
Location
Culture
Soft rush is often planted along the margins of ponds, canals or ditches where its tendency to spread is a good thing. It can be planted in water as deep as 3 in (7.6 cm), or in damp soils that may or may not get flooded occasionally. To keep a planting under control, sow in a submerged container so the rhizomes cannot spread. Corkscrew rush (cv. 'Spiralis') grows in a tangled mass (mess?) to 14 in (35.6 cm) high and is well suited to container culture. Soft rush (and especially the corkscrew form) makes a dramatic background in fresh and dried floral arrangements. In Japan, soft rush is cultivated intensively for weaving tatami, the traditional split-rush floor covering used in Japanese homes.
Grasslike plants include the true grasses (family Poaceae) with cylindrical, jointed stems; the sedges Cyperaceae which includes papyrus (Cyperus papyrus ) and umbrella sedge (Cyperus involucratus) with triangular stems, and the rushes (Juncaceae) with cylindrical, unjointed stems. The rush family includes 10 genera and over 300 species. The genus Juncus has about 225 species. Millions of acres of coastal saltmarshes along Atlantic and Gulf shores from Maryland to Texas are dominated by pure stands of needle rush (Juncus romerianus).
Steve Christman 1/25/02; updated 11/14/03
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