Juncus tenuis Path Rush
General
Juncus tenuis can tolerate a range of growing conditions, including heavily trodden paths, which is where it gets its common name "Path Rush". It can grow in wet, dry, or compacted soils, and can be anywhere from 6'' to 2' in height.
Plant Description
Grows in small, sometimes "V" shaped clusters, and will vary from half a foot to 2' at mature height. Flowers are compound, with mostly inconspicuous star shaped florets, which will give way to brownish seed heads.
Height (ft)
0.5-2'
Soil moisture
Moist to dry
Soil types
Variable; can tolerate
Wetland indicator
FAC-
Shade tolerance
Intermediate, Full Sun to Partial Shade
Bloom color
Green
Bloom period
Spring
Drought tolerance
Low to Medium
Salinity tolerance
Low
Distribution
Eastern United States to the edge of the Great Plains, Western United States to the Rockies, and some sparse populations in between.
Additional information
Brown, Lauren. Grasses: An Identification Guide. Houghton Mifflin Company, New York City, 1979. LINK
Fassett, Norman C. A Manual of Aquatic Plants, First Edition. McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., New York and London, 1940. LINK
Garbisch, Edgar W., and McIninch, Suzanne M. Propagation of Wetland Plants: Herbaceous Plants, Shrubs and Trees. Environmental Concern, Inc. 2003. LINK
Harris, James G., and Harris, Melinda Woolf. Plant Identification Terminology: An Illustrated Glossary, Second Edition. Spring Lake Publishing, Spring Lake, Utah. 2011. LINK
Hitchcock, A.S., and Chase, Agnes. Manual of the Grasses of the United States, Second Edition, Volume I. Dover Publications, Inc., New York, 1971. LINK
Kartesz, J.T., The Biota of North America Program (BONAP). 2015. North American Plant Atlas. (http://bonap.net/napa). Chapel Hill, N.C. [maps generated from Kartesz, J.T. 2015. Floristic Synthesis of North America, Version 1.0. Biota of North America Program (BONAP). (in press) LINK
McKenny, Margaret and Peterson, Roger Tory. A Field Guide to Wildflowers of Northeastern and North-central North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1968. LINK
Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb's Wildflower Guide. Laurence Newcomb, Mexico. 1977. LINK
USDA, NRCS. 2021. PLANTS Database (https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/, 08/20/2021). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA. LINK
https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=249859
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juncus_tenuis
https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/grasses/plants/path_rush.htm
https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/grass-sedge-rush/path-rush
https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=jute
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/juncus-tenuis/
