Juncus interior
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: 471.
What is Inland Rush?
Physical Characteristics
Leaves:
- Flat
- 0.05-0.06 inches wide
- Sharp tip
- About as long as the stem
Flowers:
- 0.39-2.36 inches long
- 3-50 flowers
- Stand alone
- 0.13-0.2 inches long
- Sharply pointed
- Firm
Branches:
- 0.01-0.02 inches thick
- Wiry
- Growing upward
Fruit:
- Dry seed pod
- Egg-shaped
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.
Inland rush can be found marshes, wet meadows, ditches, pools, and seepage areas.
Pros and Cons of Inland 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.