Juncus bufonius
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: 469.
What is Toad Rush?
Physical Characteristics
Leaves:
- Thread-like
Flowers:
- Loose branching
- Stalks 1/4th – 4/5th the height of the plant
- 0.16-0.23 inches long
- Sharply pointed
- Green in color
Fruit:
- Dry
- Seed pod
- 3 sided
Stem:
- Hollow
- 0.78-5.13 inches tall
- 0.02-0.03 inches thick
- Upright
- Mostly simple
- Reddish in color
Where Does it Grow?
Toad rush can be found in mud and wet sand along pools, ponds and streams and in marshy areas.
Pros and Cons of Toad 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.