Juncaceae & Orchidaceae

MONOCOTYLEDONS

JUNCACEAE - Rush Family

Grass-like annuals or perennials, often growing from a creeping rhizome, mostly found in swampy places. A worldwide family of some 300 species, with 16 native and nine naturalised species in Western Australia. Juncus (rushes) is a large genus, with species that hybridise readily and are often difficult to tell apart. The weedy and native rushes can be conveniently divided into annuals, leafy perennials and leafless perennials. Consult a specialist text for exact identification. Two annuals are common in disturbed winter-wet sites such as paddocks and roadsides.
J. bufonius (toad rush) is a tufted plant seldom more than 20cm high. It has a few slender basal leaves and small clusters of flowers along the upper part of the stems. There appear to be two forms, a slender, few-flowered type that is probably native and a more robust and spreading type that is probably introduced. It is widespread throughout the south-west and is considered a pest in cultivated crops in the higher rainfall areas of the south-west. A cosmopolitan weed.

Juncus bufonius , RR

J. capitatus forms a tuft seldom more than 10cm high, with its flowers forming a one-sided cluster at the top of the stem. Found from Perth to Albany. Native to Eurasia and Africa.

J. capitatus (right) and Galium divaricatum, PH

The leafy perennials include J. imbricatus, that has all leaves basal, usually shorter than the stems, with slender terete stems to 60cm tall. The inflorescence is small, of 2-10 flowers, and terminal. A weed of disturbed wetlands in the Albany area. Native to South America.
J. articulatus is a sprawling tufted perennial, often rooting at the nodes. The leaves are short, terete, and spread along the stem. A weed of disturbed wetlands from Perth to Albany. A native of Europe, North Africa, Asia and North America.

J. articulatus , GK

J. microcephalus is similar to the native J.holoschoenus , but is generally taller with red-brown rather than yellow-brown capsules. A native to South Africa, it is found between Perth and Albany. Also very similar to J. microcephalus is
J. oxycarpus, that has larger seeds and a spreading rhizome. Native to South Africa. It is found between Augusta and Albany. These plants are often called joint rushes because all have a rhizome from which grow hollow cylindrical leaves, divided by internal partitions every centimetre or so.

J. microcephalus , PH

The leafless group includes J. acutus (sharp rush, cultivation rush) which is very common in saline paddocks throughout the wheatbelt, but it also occurs in natural saline areas around Perth. It forms a dense clump with cylindrical, sharp-pointed leaves up to 1m long. The brown flowers grow in a cluster at the end of the stems, with a sharp-pointed bract sticking out beyond them. Native to Europe. J. usitatus is a tufted rhizomatous leafless perennial with terete green stems to 70cm, a loose, open inflorescence and a stem with no strengthening bars across the pith. This species occurs from Harvey to Margaret River on irrigated pastures. J. polyanthemus is very similar but has grey-green stems and a dense inflorescence. Both are very common weeds of irrigated pastures around Harvey, where they have extensively hybridised. Both native to eastern Australia. J. effusus (soft rush), native to temperate Northern Hemisphere and
J. gerardii (mud rush), native to Europe, North Africa, Asia and North America, have also been recorded for Western Australia.

J. acutus , PH

ORCHIDACEAE - Orchid Family

A very large, cosmopolitan family of perennials, often with an underground tuber, or, in tropical regions, epiphytic. About 25,000 species worldwide, over 300 in Western Australia, one of which is introduced.

Monadenia bracteata (South African orchid) has a clump of leaves and a thick, fleshy stem bearing numerous small, brown and yellow flowers in spring. First noted near Albany in 1944, it has now spread throughout the wetter south-west and is sometimes very common. It is favoured by disturbance, but can be found in all habitats from paddocks to bushland. Native to South Africa.

Monadenia bracteata , GK

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Grass-like annuals or perennials, often growing from a creeping rhizome, mostly found in swampy places. A worldwide family of some 300 species, with 16 native and nine naturalised species in Western Australia. *Juncus* (rushes) is a large genus, with species that hybridise readily and are often difficult to tell apart. The weedy and native rushes can be conveniently divided into annuals, leafy perennials and leafless perennials. Consult a specialist text for exact identification. Two annuals are common in disturbed winter-wet sites such as paddocks and roadsides. *J. bufonius* (toad rush) is a tufted plant seldom more than 20cm high. It has a few slender basal leaves and small clusters of flowers along the upper part of the stems. There appear to be two forms, a slender, few-flowered type that is probably native and a more robust and spreading type that is probably introduced. It is widespread throughout the south-west and is considered a pest in cultivated crops in the higher rainfall areas of the south-west. A cosmopolitan weed.	*Juncus bufonius* , RR
*J. capitatus* forms a tuft seldom more than 10cm high, with its flowers forming a one-sided cluster at the top of the stem. Found from Perth to Albany. Native to Eurasia and Africa.	*J. capitatus* (right) and *Galium divaricatum*, PH
The leafy perennials include *J. imbricatus, that has all leaves basal, usually shorter than the stems, with slender terete stems to 60cm tall. The inflorescence is small, of 2-10 flowers, and terminal. A weed of disturbed wetlands in the Albany area. Native to South America. J. articulatus* is a sprawling tufted perennial, often rooting at the nodes. The leaves are short, terete, and spread along the stem. A weed of disturbed wetlands from Perth to Albany. A native of Europe, North Africa, Asia and North America.	*J. articulatus* , GK
*J. microcephalus* is similar to the native *J.holoschoenus* , but is generally taller with red-brown rather than yellow-brown capsules. A native to South Africa, it is found between Perth and Albany. Also very similar to J. microcephalus is *J. oxycarpus*, that has larger seeds and a spreading rhizome. Native to South Africa. It is found between Augusta and Albany. These plants are often called joint rushes because all have a rhizome from which grow hollow cylindrical leaves, divided by internal partitions every centimetre or so.	*J. microcephalus* , PH
The leafless group includes J. acutus (sharp rush, cultivation rush) which is very common in saline paddocks throughout the wheatbelt, but it also occurs in natural saline areas around Perth. It forms a dense clump with cylindrical, sharp-pointed leaves up to 1m long. The brown flowers grow in a cluster at the end of the stems, with a sharp-pointed bract sticking out beyond them. Native to Europe. *J. usitatus* is a tufted rhizomatous leafless perennial with terete green stems to 70cm, a loose, open inflorescence and a stem with no strengthening bars across the pith. This species occurs from Harvey to Margaret River on irrigated pastures. J. polyanthemus is very similar but has grey-green stems and a dense inflorescence. Both are very common weeds of irrigated pastures around Harvey, where they have extensively hybridised. Both native to eastern Australia. *J. effusus* (soft rush), native to temperate Northern Hemisphere and *J. gerardii* (mud rush), native to Europe, North Africa, Asia and North America, have also been recorded for Western Australia.	*J. acutus* , PH