Juncus

High school (ages 12+)
Safety & Emergency

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/juncus

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the taxonomic family?Juncaceae, a family of monocotyledonous flowering plants
2. What is the phytoremediation potential?Used in constructed wetlands to absorb pollutants and improve water quality
3. What do Juncus plants look like and how are they different from grass?Juncus plants have round, unbranched stems and cylindrical leaves, making them look like grass but they belong to the rush family. They also have a unique flower structure with three petal-like and three sepal-like parts.
4. Why are Juncus plants important for wetlands?They have air channels in their stems that let them breathe in waterlogged soil, and their strong roots hold the soil together to stop erosion from waves and rain.

Monocotyledonous: A group of flowering plants characterized by having a single embryonic leaf.
Aerenchyma: Plant tissue containing large air spaces, facilitating gas exchange in waterlogged conditions.
Phytoremediation: The use of plants to remove, degrade, or contain contaminants from soil or water.