Juncus acutus, Juncus littoralis, Juncus spinosus,
Spiny Rush, Sharp rush,
Hebrew: סמר חד, Arabic: رامس رم

Scientific name:  Juncus acutus L.
Synonym name:  Juncus littoralis C.A.Mey., Juncus spinosus Forssk.
Common name:  Spiny Rush, Sharp rush
Hebrew name:  סמר חד
Arabic name:  Samaar morr, رامس رم
Family:  Juncaceae, Rush Family, סמריים

Juncus acutus, Juncus littoralis, Juncus spinosus,Spiny Rush, Sharp rush, סמר , رامس رمחד
Location: Hadera Forest, Winter pool

Life form:   Hemicryptophyte
Spinescence:  Leaves
Stems:  100-120 cm tall; pith filled stems, rounded in cross-section, unbranched; glabrous
Leaves:  Rosette, entire, smooth, spinescent
Inflorescence:  Stems bear dense branching clusters of flowers just below their tips, which taper into a very sharp spine; At base of flower clusters usually one or two leafy bracts (4-25 cm long); Flower clusters are made up of 5-50 smaller clusters, each containing 1-6 flowers
Flowers:  3 sepals; 3petals; 6 stamens, 3-celled ovary; greenish, brown, reddish-brown depending on age
Fruits / pods:  Capsule, 3-celled brown; seeds, brown, membranous tail at either end
Flowering Period:   April, May, June, July, August, September
Habitat:  Humid habitats
Distribution:  Mediterranean Woodlands and Shrublands, Semi-steppe shrublands, Shrub-steppes, Deserts and extreme deserts
Chorotype:   Med - Irano-Turanian
Summer shedding:  Perennating

Flowers in Israel
Location: Hadera Forest, Winter pool


Derivation of the botanical name:
Juncus, the classical Latin name for the rush; junctus, pp. of jungere, to join, to bind, because the stems were used for binding.
acutus, sharpened, sharp pointed; sharpened to a point.
littoralis, of the sea shore; littoral
spinosus, thorny; spiny.
The Hebrew name: סמר, samar, from סמר, bristle, rough, so called in allusion to the erect stalks.
  • The standard author abbreviation L. is used to indicate Carl Linnaeus (1707 – 1778), a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, the father of modern taxonomy.
  • The standard author abbreviation C.A.Mey is used to indicate Carl Anton von Meyer (1795 – 1855), a Russian botanist and explorer.
  • The standard author abbreviation Forssk. is used to indicate Peter Forsskål (1732 – 1763), a Swedish explorer, orientalist and naturalist.

Juncus acutus, Juncus littoralis, Juncus spinosus, Spiny Rush, Sharp rush, رامس رمסמר חד
Location: Hadera Forest, Winter pool