Oreojuncus trifidus is a species of rush known by the common names highland rush[2] and three-leaved rush.[3] It is native to the Northern Hemisphere, where it is an arctic/montane species with an amphi-atlantic distribution.[4]: 46
| Oreojuncus trifidus | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Poales |
| Family: | Juncaceae |
| Genus: | Oreojuncus |
| Species: | O. trifidus
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| Binomial name | |
| Oreojuncus trifidus L. Záv.Drábk. & Kirschner
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| Synonyms[1] | |
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Description
editOreojuncus trifidus is a perennial herb with tufted stems up to 40 centimeters long, growing erect or drooping. There are a few grasslike leaf blades measuring up to 12 centimeters long. The inflorescence holds one to four flowers with brown tepals and six stamens. The fruit is a capsule a few millimeters long.[5][6] The plant reproduces sexually with its flowering structures and vegetatively via its rhizome, when it may form colonies.[7]
Habitat
editThis species grows in a number of habitat types, especially in alpine environments. It can be found in talus, on cliffs and ledges, fellfields, tundra, and meadows. It grows in a wide variety of heath ecosystems. The soils may be dry to moist, calcareous, and acidic.[7] They may be gravelly, sandy, and rich in iron. The plant is known as a pioneer on ski slopes and roadsides.[5] It may grow alongside many types of mosses and lichens.[7]
Distribution
editOreojuncus trifidus is an amphi-atlantic plant,[4] native to northern and eastern Canada, including the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and other low Arctic regions, the northeastern United States, Greenland, Iceland, Scandinavia, northern Britain, and northern Asia.[5] It also occurs in the high mountains of southern Europe.[citation needed] While not rare in general, the plant faces threats in some locations. Some populations in the Adirondacks are harmed by trampling by hikers.[8] Rush habitat on Camel's Hump and Mount Marcy also suffers from trampling disturbance.[7] Rush-dominated heath in the Cairngorms is also potentially threatened by trampling.[9]
References
edit- ^ "Oreojuncus trifidus (L.) Záv.Drábk. & Kirschner". Plants of the World Online. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2017. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
- ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Juncus trifidus". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
- ^ BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
- ^ a b Hultén, Eric (1958). The Amphi-Atlantic Plants and their Phytogeographical Connections. Stockholm, Sweden: Almqvist and Wiksell.
- ^ a b c Aiken, S.G., et al. 2007. Flora of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago: Descriptions, Illustrations, Identification, and Information Retrieval. NRC Research Press, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa.
- ^ Juncus trifidus. Flora of North America.
- ^ a b c d Schori, M. Conservation Assessment for Highland Rush (Juncus trifidus) L. USDA Forest Service, Eastern Region. May 6, 2004.
- ^ Juncus trifidus. New York Natural Heritage Program.
- ^ Pryor, P. J. 1985. The effects of disturbance on open Juncus trifidus health in the Cairngorm mountains, Scotland. In: The ecological impacts of outdoor recreation on mountain areas in Europe and North America. RERG Report, Recreation Ecology Research Group, UK. No. 9 53-62.