Settle Wildflowers 151: Juncus tenuis - Slender Rush Helwith Bridge

 

Fri 20 Sept: Juncus tenuis. Slender Rush. The Car Park at Helwith Bridge. Gravelly soil, puddles. This is a new record for Settle's hectad SD86 , The nearest other records being near Grassington, Thornton in Craven and beyond Low Bentham. https://database.bsbi.org/maps/?taxonid=2cd4p9h.8qq

It has blades like grass blades in that they are dorsiventrally flattened.

It is likely to have been imported with forage or timber from North America. I have found it on footpaths in Holland and on Headley Heath (Box Hill) on footpaths. for many years but the maps show it does really well in the west of Britain and SE of England. It is spreading.

https://plantatlas2020.org/atlas/2cd4p9h.8qq

I thought it might be Juncus compressus (The round fruited rush -when I first found it because I have found that in the area before, and because this had exceedingly round fruit.

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But Juncus compressus has tepals that are obtuse to rounded at the apex, ad the tepals of this plant here are acute, and longer than the capsules.

Jucncus compressus (and gerardii for that matter) are rhizomatous and Juncus tenuis is tufted. This was definitely tufted.

And quite a lot of vigorous separate tufts n the car park.