Juncus dudleyi
Illustration: USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An illustrated flora of the northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions. 3 vols. Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York. Vol. 1: 470.
What is Dudley’s Rush?
Physical Characteristics
Leaves:
- Flat
- 0.05-0.06 inches wide
- Sharp tip
- About as long as the stem
Flowers:
- Compact
- 0.39-1.19 inches long
- 7-25 flowers
- Sepals 0.16-0.22 inches long
Fruit:
- Dry seed pod
Stem:
- 1-2.75 feet tall
- Hollow
- Upright
- Simple
- 0.05-0.09 inches thick
- Tough
- Wiry
Where Does it Grow?
USDA, NRCS. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA.
Dudley’s rush can be found in wet meadows, marshes, seepage areas and along the edges of lakes, ponds and streams.
Pros and Cons of Dudley’s Rush
Submerged portions of all aquatic plants provide habitats for many micro and macro invertebrates. These invertebrates in turn are used as food by fish and other wildlife species (e.g. amphibians, reptiles, ducks, etc.). After aquatic plants die, their decomposition by bacteria and fungi provides food (called “detritus”) for many aquatic invertebrates.