Black Needlerush Juncus roemerianus

Propagation Guide

Scientific Name Wetland Indicator Category Juncus roemerianus Scheele OBL Common Name Growth Form Black Needlerush Emergent rhizomatous perennial Group forming dense stands Monocotyledon Habitat Family Saline or brackish marsh Juncaceae Juncus roemerianus

1 Seed Collection Observe inflorescence development of Juncus roemerianus in the field. The development of the inflorescence starts as a red ring around the base of a new leaf from late January to late February (Eleuterius and Caldwell 1984). As the leaf grows the ring will move upward and the inflorescence matures. In coastal Mississippi and along the northern Gulf of Mexico the flowers usually mature and the dark brown seeds are ready for collecting in late April to early May (Eleuterius 1978); however, this may vary from year to year depending on weather conditions. The flowers of Juncus roemerianus are gynodioecious (some individuals having bisexual flowers and some having only female flowers). The J. roemerianus inflorescence is dark brown in color, and found 0.5-12" (1–30 cm) below the tip of the sharp pointed bract that looks like a continuation of the stem. There is only one inflorescence per plant and it is composed of erect branches with clusters of two to six flowers at the tips of the branchlets. The mature fruit is a shiny dark-brown three-sided capsule, which contains numerous very small 0.012" (<0.3mm) diameter seeds. The seeds are mature and ready for collecting when the inflorescence is gently shaken or tapped and the seeds are released from the capsules. The seeds can be harvested by cutting the stems above (to remove the sharp bract tip) and below the inflorescence and placing them into plastic bags. Not all inflorescences mature at the same time. Repeated site visits may be necessary to collect the inflorescences that ripen Juncus roemerianus inflorescence at different times. The seeds must be collected within two weeks of maturation before they PHOTO CPR naturally fall to the ground. 2 Seed Preparation Store the plastic bags with the collected inflorescences open in a cool dry room for one to two months. This will permit any insects to escape, allows the inflorescences to dry out slowly, and prevents fungal growth. The plastic bags should be shaken periodically to help loosen the seeds from the dried capsules. When all the seeds have dropped to the bottom of the plastic bag, the dried inflorescences can be discarded. The seeds and remaining small material in the bottom of the bag are then further separated through a series of stacked U.S.A. Standard Test Sieves: No.18 (1 mm mesh size), No.35 (0.5 mm) and No.60 (0.25 mm) over a collecting tray. The Juncus roemerianus seeds will pass through the larger size sieves that remove coarse material and the seeds will be captured in the No.60 sieve. Smaller material collected in the collecting tray at the bottom can be discarded. Small amounts of the sieved seeds can then be spread out on white paper and any Distichlis spicata PHOTO CPR remaining undesirable material is removed with forceps (tweezers). This step may need to be repeated several times to ensure the seeds are clean of unwanted material. This is a very time- consuming process, but essential to the successful storage conditions of the seeds. Garbisch and McIninch (1992) have reported there are approximately 6.5 million seeds per pound dry weight. 3 Seed Storage The cleaned seeds have no dormancy requirement and can be germinated immediately after preparation. Alternatively, the seeds can be stored dry in sealed glass vials at room temperature at 70ºF (21ºC) or in a refrigerator at 39ºF (4ºC). Storage time for Juncus roemerianus seeds is about three years (McIninch and Garbisch 2003), after which seed viability gradually decreases.

5 cm 4 Seed Germination The cleaned seeds, about ¼ teaspoon, are placed on wet filter paper in a covered glass petri dish, and tap water is added to cover the seeds. The water level in the petri dish should be Juncus roemerianus inflorescences checked periodically to make sure seeds do not dry out. At least 0.25" (0.7 cm) water is PHOTO CPR recommended. The cleaned seeds can also be germinated by spreading 100 to 200 seeds on a thick layer of moisture-retaining agar in a glass petri dish.

CENTER FOR PLANT RESTORATION & COASTAL PLANT RESEARCH Propagation Guide

These petri dishes are placed under a bank of four to six fluorescent lights (60-100 W, <100 µmol irradiance) until germination occurs. Germination occurs over a range of temperatures from 77-95ºF (25-35ºC). Eleuterius (1984) reported that germination of Juncus roemerianus seeds decreased with increasing salinity. Many of the seeds will germinate in about seven days. Seedlings should be transplanted at this stage. Eleuterius (1984) reported that rates of seed germination vary from year to year, and are generally high (75%). An alternative germination method is directly sowing the seeds onto a moist organic- rich soil mixture (1:1:1 topsoil:sand:peat ratio) covered with a thin layer of sand to maintain a moisture barrier. Depending on the seed viability (see Appendix A), the seeding rate may be higher or lower from year to year. A seeding rate that will yield about 10 seedlings per square inch (6.5 cm²) is recommended.

5 Seedling Propagation 1 mm When the young seedlings are about 0.25-0.5" (0.7-1.3 cm) in height they can be removed from the petri dish using forceps and one or more seedlings can be transplanted into Juncus roemerianus seeds PHOTO CPR hydrated peat pellets (Jiffy Products -Jiffy 7) using forceps. Planted seedlings are then placed in 20 x 10" (51 x 25 cm) plastic bedding trays (Landmark Plastic -1020 NCR(N) no holes). These hold 50 peat pellets and should be sub-irrigated with tap water on a daily basis. Trays with seedlings are best kept indoors in a temperature controlled room at 81-86ºF (27-30ºC) under fluorescent grow lights (60-100 W, 60-100 µmol irradiance) on a 18:6 hour 1 cm (light:dark) photoperiod. It is important to keep the young seedlings in a humid environment for one to two weeks after planting. To reduce desiccation use clear plastic propagation domes (Curtis Wagner Plastics -CW221) over the trays. Caution, heat can build up under these domes and kill the seedlings. Temperature should be kept below 95ºF (35ºC). After about two weeks the seedlings can be weaned off the humid environment by placing vented propagation domes over the tray for another two weeks. After one month the propagation domes are removed and the seedlings should be fertilized with dilute (0.1 strength) water-soluble 20-20-20 general purpose fertilizer. After another two weeks in the growth chamber the seedlings can be moved into the greenhouse, at this stage they are five to six weeks post-germination. The trays with acclimated seedlings are then placed in a greenhouse and grown for three to four months until they reach a size of at least 6" (15 cm) tall. These larger plants can then be planted into 4 or 6" (10 or 15 cm) diameter containers with an enriched organic soil mixture (1:1:1 topsoil:sand:peat ratio), and kept sub-irrigated for a minimum of nine months to form a well-developed root mass (Appendix B). Plants are fertilized with a full strength (per manufacturer directions) water-soluble 20-20-20 general purpose fertilizer monthly, poured directly onto the soil. When the root mass is well-developed these plants are ready to be transplanted to a restoration site or transplanted into larger containers for further growth (Appendix C). Alternatively, seedlings can be planted directly into standard 72 well inserts (Dillen Products -D1206), which fit into the plastic bedding trays, in an enriched organic soil mixture (1:1:1 topsoil:sand:peat ratio). The advantage is that plants grown in these 1.5" (4 cm) plugs will have a quick turnaround time to become root-bound in the nursery and can be easily transported to the restoration site. However, a disadvantage to these plugs is the plants and the root ball are smaller. These plants should be mature and capable of flowering in three years. If the restoration site is at a high salinity location that exceeds 15 parts per thousand (ppt), the plants can be salt hardened by gradually adding salt to the water over a period of about one month to result in a final concentration of 10 ppt.

6 Vegetative Propagation Juncus roemerianus inflorescence Vegetative propagation protocols are not well-known for this species, and should be and seeds PHOTO CPR further investigated.

CENTER FOR PLANT RESTORATION & COASTAL PLANT RESEARCH Juncus roemerianus Propagation Guide

Seedling and Plant Propagation Charts

81-86ºF 77-95ºF (27-30ºC) Ambient (25-35ºC) <95ºF (35ºC) Temperature Temperature Controlled

Greenhouse Fluorescent Fluorescent 18:6 Light:Dark Full Sun

Sub-irrigated Submerge Sub-irrigated Peat Pellets/ 0.25" Water Peat Pellets Agar/Filter Paper Fertilize Containers Fertilize Monthly

Seed Germination 1-3 Weeks Seedlings 5-6 Weeks Seedlings 3-4 Months Container Plants 9 Months

Citations CPR Propagation Guide Team Eleuterius, L.N. 1978. A revised description of the salt marsh rush, Juncus Dr. Patrick Biber J.D. Caldwell Scott R. Caldwell Matthew Marenberg roemerianus. SIDA: Contributions to Botany 7(4): 355-360. Eleuterius, L.N. 1984. Autecology of the black needlerush Juncus roemerianus. Further Information Gulf Research Reports 7(4): 339-350. USDA PLANTS profile: Eleuterius, L.N. and J.D. Caldwell. 1984. Flowering phenology of tidal marsh http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=JURO plants in Mississippi. Castanea 49: 172-179. Center for Plant Restoration and Coastal Plant Research: Garbisch, E.W. and S.M. McIninch. 1992. Seed information for wetland plant http://sites.google.com/site/coastalplantrestoration/home species of the Northeast United States. Restoration and Management Notes 10(1): 85-86. Field guide and images of Coastal Mississippi Wetland plant species: http://jcho.masgc.org/ McIninch, S.M. and E.W. Garbisch. 2003. Propagation of Wetland Plants: Herbaceous Plants, Shrubs and Trees. Environmental Concern, Inc. St. NRCS Jamie L. Whitten Plant Materials Center: Michaels, MD. Plant Guide for Establishing Coastal Vegetation on the Mississippi Gulf Coast http://www.plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/pubs/mspmspu7271.pdf

Dr. Patrick Biber Email [email protected] Phone 228 872 4200 Fax

228 872 4204 This brochure is funded in part with qualified outer continental shelf oil and gas revenues by the Coastal Impact Assistance Program, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement, U.S. Mail Department of the Interior through a grant award to the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources. 703 East Beach Drive The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the opinions or policies of the U.S. Government. Mention of trade names or Ocean Springs, MS 39564 commercial products does not constitute their endorsement by the U.S. Government.