Botanical art
Common names
Yellow Rush
Etymology
Juncus from the Latin 'jungere' meaning to tie or bind; referring to the use of the rushes for weaving and basketry. Flavidus from Latin meaning yellowish; possible referring to the yellowish appearance of its inflorescence.
Distribution and status
Found in the Flinders Ranges, Mount Lofty Ranges and the South-east in South Australia, growing in wet depressions and along drainage lines. Also found in Western Australia, Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. Native. Common in South Australia. Uncommon in Western Australia. Common in the other states.
Herbarium regions: Flinders Ranges, Northern Lofty, Murray, Yorke Peninsula, Southern Lofty, South Eastern, Green Adelaide
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Tufted perennial rush arising from a rhizome with greyish-green stems to 120 cm high and 2.3 mm diameter, easily compressed, pith interrupted pith with large air-spaces. Inflorescence with clustered or scattered heads with mny with many pale brown flowers. Flowering between December to March. Fruits are clusters of golden brown ellipsoid capsules with numerous seeds. Seeds are tiny orange ellipsoid seed to 0.6 mm long and 0.3 mm wide, with fine reticulated surface. Seed embryo type is broad.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between February and June. Collect fruits either by picking off the mature heads, those turning brown and come-off easily or break-off the whole spikes. Place the heads in a tray and leave to dry for one to two weeks. Then rub the heads with a rubber bung to dislodge the seeds. Use a sieve to separate any unwanted material. Be careful, as the seeds are very small. Seeds are brown and hard. Store the seeds with a desiccant such as dried silica beads or dry rice, in an air tight container in a cool and dry place.
Location | No. of seeds (weight grams) | Number of plants | Date collected | Collection number Collection location | Date stored | % Viability | Storage temperature |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
MSB | 80,000 (0.64 g) | 50 | 11-Oct-2007 | RJB75089 Northern Lofty | 100% |