SEED SIZE: SMALL SEEDS!
Juncus effusus is a perennial herbaceous flowering plant species in the family Juncaceae. In North America, the common name soft rush also refers to Juncus interior. Juncus effuses, commonly known as soft rush, common rush, bog rush or mat rush, is a grasslike-like, rhizomatous, wetland perennial that features smooth, upright, cylindrical, unjointed, spire-like green stems (leaves are absent) which grow in spreading basal clumps to 20-40” tall. It is one of the true rushes.
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BENEFITS AND USES: Juncus provide habitat for wildlife and help keep our water clean. According to the USDA, the rhizomes of Common Rush (Juncus effusus) form a matrix for many beneficial bacteria, making this plant an excellent addition for wastewater treatment. Rushes provide habitat for amphibians and spawning areas for fish. Muskrats feed on the rootstalks of soft rush, moose, cattle, sheep all feed off of the young shoots and various wetland wading birds find shelter among the stems. Livestock: Cattle will graze Juncus effusus late in the season after more palatable plants are eaten. The stems of this grass-like plant have been traditionally used for making floor mats, and chair seats.
Medicinal use of Soft Rush: The pith of the stem is antiphlogistic, depurative, discutient, diuretic, febrifuge, lenitive, lithontripic, pectoral and sedative. It is used in the treatment of sore throats, jaundice, oedema, acute urinary tract infection and morbid crying of babies.
Other uses of the herb: Stems are used in basket making, thatching, weaving mats etc. The stems can also be dried then twisted or braided into ropes for tying or binding. Stems can be peeled (except for a small spine which is left to keep them upright) and soaked in oil then used as a candle. A fibre obtained from the stems is used for making paper. The stems are harvested in late summer or autumn, they are split and cut into usable pieces and then soaked for 24 hours in clear water. They are then cooked for 2 hours with lye and beaten in a blender. The fibres make an off-white paper. When mixed with mulberry fibres they can be used for making stencil paper. The whole plant was formerly used as a strewing herb.
