Common name: Giant Rush
Juncus ingens N.A.Wakef. APNI* 
Description: Very tall, strongly rhizomatous dioecious perennial. Culms terete, 120–400 cm long, 4–9 mm diam., hard below, softer towards apex, mid-green; culm striations 100–200; pith interrupted, may be continuous above.
Cataphylls 15–35 cm long, lax, abaxially dark yellow-brown to dark red-brown or black at base, adaxially golden brown.
Inflorescence pseudolateral, diffuse, 7–30 cm long; flowers numerous, solitary or loosely clustered; lowest involucral bract 20–60 cm long, longer than inflorescence. Tepals straw-brown, occasionally red-tinged, with ± broad hyaline or yellowish margins; outer tepals 1.4–2.3 mm long, longer than or occasionally equalling inner tepals. Stamens 6, shorter than outer tepals; anthers 0.7–1.3 mm long; female flowers with 6 staminodes.
Capsule longer than or equalling outer tepals, ellipsoid to obovoid, obtuse, not or scarcely apiculate, dark golden brown.
Flowering: spring–summer.
Distribution and occurrence: From near Albury west along the Murray River valley to Barham. Grows around billabongs and other semi-permanent waterbodies.
NSW subdivisions: SWS, SWP
Other Australian states: Vic.
The tallest species in Australia. Unusual in the genus in being dioecious (the only other Aust species is J. psammophilus).
Text by K. L. Wilson, L. A. S. Johnson & P. Bankoff (1993); edited by KL Wilson (July 2016, Nov 2022)
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 4 (1993)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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