About Juncus planifolius R.Br.
Juncus planifolius is a rush species, commonly called broadleaf rush, broad-leaved rush, or grass-leaved rush. Its native range includes Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii and South America. In New Zealand, this species grows on open, wet ground, and is most often found on exposed clay, next to tracks or drains. Juncus planifolius has been recently introduced to the northern hemisphere. It was first recorded in Hawai'i in 1930, and has since spread to most of the islands. The species reached Ireland by 1973. It is now firmly established on the Pacific coast of North America, where it was first collected in Oregon in 1980. The first official record of the species in California dates to 2008, though populations were likely well established there before this date. Juncus planifolius may have been introduced as a contaminant in vines planted in commercial cranberry bogs, and it is now spreading in native coastal bogs, where it may outcompete and displace native plants. In North America, the species can be identified by its unbranched stems, basal leaves with no clear boundary between the sheath and blade, and blackish tepals.
