Toad rush
Juncus bufonius · Aquatic plants
Whole plant · Photo: Kallum McDonald / CC0
Also called Toad grass
How to identify Toad rush
- Small tufted annual 2 to 10 inches tall
- Thin, threadlike stems and leaves
- Greenish flowers scattered along branched stems
- Often forms carpets on bare mud
Similar plants
Spikerushes have no leaves and a single spikelet at the stem tip; perennial rushes are taller and grow from rhizomes.
Growth profile
| Growing season | Sprouts in spring and early summer on wet mud, flowers and sets seed through summer and dies by fall. |
|---|---|
| Starts growing | Spring on wet mud |
| Light | Full sun |
| Depth | Wet mud |
| How it spreads | Seeds |
| Habitat | Mudflats, drying pond margins, wheel ruts, trails and seasonally wet ground. |
Why it matters in a lake
A tiny annual rush that carpets exposed mud. Harmless; mostly a sign of rising and falling water levels.
Where it is found
- Idaho: Common
- Oregon: Common
- Wyoming: Common
Classification
| Kingdom | Plantae |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Tracheophyta |
| Class | Magnoliopsida |
| Order | Poales |
| Family | Juncaceae |
| Scientific name | Juncus bufonius |
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Poison hemlock
Inland saltgrassNeed a hand?
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