Annual Wild Rice

Annual wild rice in a field.

Annual wild rice has tall thick stems, large strap like leaves, branching flowers up to two feet long, and yellow or reddish fruits (edible grains).

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Sweetflag

Close up of sweet flag flower.

Sweetflag leaves grow in clusters from horizontal underground stems. Simple leaves are bright green and up to six feet long.

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Spikerush

Spikerush in a group.

Spikerush stems are straight and grow in clusters from the rhizomes. There are no leaves; flowers grow atop the stems.

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Salt Grass

Close up of salt grass leaves.

Salt grass has rigid stems and grassy leaves that grow one to six inches long. Tan spikelets hold wide spiky flowers up to three inches long.

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Reed Mannagrass

Reed mannagrass in a field.

Reed mannagrass has light green stems that can be more than eight feet tall. Rough leaves are angled out of the stem and grow nearly two inches wide.

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Reed Canarygrass

Reed canarygrass in a field.

Reed canarygrass has tall round stems with alternate leaves that are tapered. Straw colored seed heads grow at the tops of the stems.

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Pond Sedges

Pond sedge in groups growing out of the water.

Pond sedges grow six inches to four feet tall. Leaves have pointed tips and sometimes bend over. Flower spikelets grow in a spiral and are usually brown.

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Torpedo Grass

Close up of torpedo grass seeds.

Torpedo grass grows up to three feet tall with narrow, stiff leaves that have sharp points and a waxy or white coating on the surface.

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Panic Grass

Large cluster of panic grass.

Grass like leaves are linear and flat or folded, growing two to six feet tall. Branching flowers grow in clusters and look brownish.

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Horsetail

Horsetail stems close up.

Woody cylindrical stems stand alone with nodes every four to six inches that have blackish rings. Horsetail can grow up to nine feet tall.

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Giant Reed

Giant reed in large group.

Giant reed has thick round stems that grow in large clumps and can be six to 18 feet tall. Alternate leaves grow up to two feet long.

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Common Rush

Common rush group close up.

Common rush has straight, hollow stems two to four feet tall, no leaves, and brown clusters of flowers that grow out of the sides of the stems.

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Bur Marigold

Bur marigold flowers and leaves close up.

Bur marigold has round green stems and can grow nearly four feet tall. Leaves have toothed edges. Bright yellow flowers have eight to 15 petals.

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Cattails

Cattails cluster close up

Cattails are most easily identified by their brown, cylindrical flowers.

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Bulrush

Bulrush stems and flowers close up

Bulrushes are long grass like plants with brown spiky flowers that bloom in spring.

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Watershield

Watershield leaves in hand close up

Watershield’s floating leaves are smaller than lilies, green on the top and brown and slimy on the bottom; flowers are typically brownish.

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