Juncus rigidus

Abstract: Salinization and desertifi cation are the major constraints to agriculture development and consequently food production in Egypt. The salt affected soils and salt marshes are located mainly in the Mediterranean and Red Sea coasts and also spotted in some areas in middle, western and eastern parts of the Nile delta. Salt marshes are integral components of the Egyptian coastal and inland ecosystems, serving as important areas of primary production for food, feed, wood, paper, fi ber, etc. They represent an important habitat for production of grazing animals, waterfowl and fi sh. Reeds (i.e. Phragmites and Typha) and rushes (Juncus actus and Juncus rigidus) form an extremely important component of the saline lands in Egypt as they provide habitat for a wide range of living organisms (invertebrates, fi sh, birds, animals, etc). Some other halophytes in the salt marsh could provide great potential resources for agriculture and environment in some parts of saline in Egypt. The diversity of halophytes and other natural recourses in the salt marshes are facing severe threats due to uncontrolled human interference and other environmental factors. In this review, magnitude of salt marsh plants, its economic benefi ts with special reference to their nutritive values, utilization by ruminants and some constraints limit their utilization are discussed.

Abstract: Samples of basketry, matting, and rope as well as wooden artefacts were examined to identify the plant species used in their manufacture. Ten plant species native to Egypt were recorded, of which seven were fiber-producing and three woody plants. These comprise flax (Linum usitatissimum), halfa grass (Desmostachya bipinnata),foxtail sedge (Cyperus alopecuroides),date palm (Phoenix dactylifera), bitter rush (Juncus rigidus), common reed (Phragmites australis), garawan (Ceruana pratensis),and the woody taxa are Nile tamarisk (Tamarix nilotica), desert tamarisk (Tamarix aphylla) and desert acacia (Acacia raddiana).The results indicate that particular plant species and parts of plants were carefully selected to take advantage of their physical properties.

Abstract: This study was carried out to determine the heavy metal accumulation of Juncus rigidus Desfontaines, 1798 from three different regions of the Basrah Province in Southern of Iraq Specifically, the concentrations of lead, nickel, and cadmium were determined in the roots, culms and leaves of the plant The results indicated that the highest accumulation of the heavy metal was recorded in lead (Pb) 1250± 358 mg kg-1and then in nickel ( 1 used to the ability of J rigidus for both phytoextraction and phytostabilization The anatomical analysis showed that heavy metal accumulation in plant tissues led to a reduction in root and culm thickness; in polluted area it has been found that cortex and intercellular spaces in aerenchyma layers were deceased in size, whereas high pollution levels were observed in vascular bundles, which were smaller, and had increased sclerenchyma, as well as appeared more black or dark color compared to the specimens grown in the control area

Abstract: The natural plant life of The Egyptian deserts is formed mainly of xerophytes and halophytes rich with fiber taxa that could be considered renewable resources for various fiber industries. Fourteen of these species were described ecologically. The fiber contents of seven species, namely. Thymelaea hirsuta, Cyperus papyrus, Desmostachya bipinnata, Typha domingensis, Typha elephantina, Juncus rigidus and Juncus acutus were measured. The long fibers (1200–6100 μm) represent about 60% of the fiber contents of the first five species; the reverse was true in the two Juncus species. Juncus spp. are halophytes proved experimentally to produce good quality paper. Successful field experiment to establish Juncus spp. in saline soil of Egypt's desert was conducted. Irrigation of the experiment was carried out using the non-fresh water of Manzala Lake.