Image of spiny rush

Description:

Slo.: ostro loje, ostri loek - Habitat: a few meters from sea shore, partly salt march; sandy calcareous ground; full sun; elevation 1 m (3 feet); average precipitations ~ 900 mm/year, average temperature 12-14 deg C, (sub)Mediterranean phytogeographical region. Substratum: soil among sea shore pebbles. Comment: Juncus acutus is a tall (up to 1.8 m), robust plant quite easy to recognize in spite of the fact that genus Juncus includes many, many species. It is a warmth loving Mediterranean plant growing in all countries around Mediterranean Sea (Ref.2). In Slovenia it is quite rare and restricted exclusively to Adriatic Sea shore (Ref.: 5). The plant can be recognized by its notable size, densely tufted habit and firm, basal, sharply pointed and longer than flower stems leaves. Reddish-brown flowers are interesting when observed from close (hand lens). The pictures show the plant in seeds (capsules). A quite remarkable member of Juncus genus! Ref.: (1) A. Martini et all., Mala Flora Slovenije (Flora of Slovenia - Key) (in Slovenian), Tehnina Zaloba Slovenije (2007), p 788. (2) I. Schnfelder, P. Schnfelder, Kosmos Atlas Mittelmeer- und Kanarenflora, Kosmos, (2002), p 272. (3) M. Blamey, C. Grey-Wilson, Wild Flowers of the Mediterranean, A & C Black, London (2005), p 529. (4) R. Domac, Flora Hrvatske (Flora of Croatia) (in Croatian), kolska Knjiga, Zagreb (1994), p 409. (5) N. Jogan (ed.), Gradivo za Atlas flore Slovenije (Materials for the Atlas of Flora of Slovenia), CKSF (2001), p 208.