Juncus marginatus
USDA, NRCS. 2018. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 28 March 2018). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA.
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: 473.
What is Shore Rush?
Physical Characteristics
Leaves:
- Flat
- Soft
- 1.19-5.91 inches long
- 0.08-0.2 inches wide
- Mostly upright
Flowers:
- 2-12 immobile flowers
- Brownish in color
- 3 stamen
Fruit:
- Seed pod
- Wedge-shaped
- Brown in color
Stem:
- Hollow
- 6-39.38 inches long
- Close together
- 0.06-0.13 inches wide
- Leafy
- Upright
- Branches
Where Does it Grow?
Shore rush can be found in wet meadows, marshes, seepage areas and along the edges of lakes, ponds and streams.
Pros and Cons of Shore 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.