40 Nebraskaland • April 2025
Of the millions of rush seeds
carried by the fl oodwaters, some
were fortunate. They landed on bare
sand, warmed by the sun's rays and
moistened by groundwater or nearby
pools and rivulets. Their long, dark,
dormant wait was over, and they
germinated. These reborn rushes were
the ones I photographed.
What is a Rush?
If an adventurous hiker had
happened to pass by that morning as
I knelt behind my camera, they might
have assumed I was photographing
grasses, given the grass-like
appearance of rushes. However, the
two plant groups diff er in subtle yet
distinct ways.
For example, in grasses, the male
and female fl ower parts are protected
by two bracts, while rush fl owers are
enclosed by six bracts that open as the
fl owers mature.
Additionally, each mature grass
fl ower produces a single, relatively
large seed, whereas each rush fl ower
forms a pod containing dozens to
hundreds of seeds.
Furthermore, grass stems are round,
hollow and contain nodes, swollen
joints where the plants' many leaves
emerge. In contrast, rush stems are
solid, lack nodes and are typically
round, except in a few species where
they are fl at. Rushes have few leaves,
most of which grow from the base of
the plant.
To further complicate matters for
plant enthusiasts, sedges closely
resemble both rushes and grasses.
However, they can be distinguished by
a single bract that shields the fl ower
parts, as well as solid, triangular stems
that lack nodes. Fortunately, there is
a simple rhyme to help discern these
tricky plants:
Sedges have edges,
rushes are round,
and grasses have nodes
from the top to the ground.
Toad rush seedpods ripen to a rich brown in the June sun. This annual grows nearly statewide along the margins of lakes,
ponds and streams. It is especially abundant on sandbars, including those of the Elkhorn River. GERRY STEINAUER, NEBRASKALAND
