くさい (草藺) [Index] [Back] わが国の各地をはじめ、台湾や朝鮮半島、中国、インド、それに北アメリカに分布しています。山野や道ばたなどに生え、高さは３０〜５０センチになります。また本種は、ひとの踏み跡に生える植物のひとつであり、やや湿った場所に多いのも特徴です。茎は細い糸状で、葉は線形で細く、茎を抱きます。６月から９月ごろ、茎頂に集散花序と数個の苞葉を出し、その中心部に目立たない花を咲かせます。果実は�刮ﾊで、玉状になって目立ちます。台湾華語では「阿里山燈心草」、中国語では「堅被灯心草（jian bei deng xin cao）」と呼ばれます。 イグサ科イグサ属の多年草で、学名は Juncus tenuis。英名は Path rush、Slender rush。 The Path rush (Juncus tenuis) belongs to Juncaceae (the Rush family). It is a perennial herb that is distributed throughout Japan, as well as in Taiwan, the Korean Peninsula, China, India, and North America. It grows in mountain fields and along roadsides, reaching a height of 30 to 50 cm. This species is also one of the plants that grows in human footpaths, and it is characteristic that it is often found in slightly moist locations. The stem is slender and thread-like, and the leaves are linear, narrow, and clasp the stem. From June to September, it produces a corymbose inflorescence and several bracts at the stem apex, with inconspicuous flowers blooming at its center. The fruit is a capsule, becoming spherical and conspicuous. In Taiwanese Chinese, it is called "阿里山燈心草", and "堅被灯心草" (jian bei deng xin cao) in Chinese. 山形県米沢市白布温泉「天元台高原」にて、2025年10月03日撮影。 Shu Suehiro shu@botanic.jp