Yellow Flag

Small group of yellow flag along the water.

Yellow flag has tall leaves, three to four feet, that arch at the upper parts and come to a point. Yellow flowers are big and showy, with many on each stem.

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Northern Wild Rice

Northern wild rice groups growing in shallow water.

Northern wild rice has tall reed like stems, ribbon like leaves that float, and branching flowers with yellow to deep red fruits (edible grains).

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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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Pennsylvania Smartweed

Pennsylvania smartweed close up growing in a field.

Pennsylvania smartweed has sword shaped leaves and small flowers that grow in clusters at the ends of branches. Flowers are rose to white in color.

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Marshpepper Smartweed

Close up of marshpepper smartweed flowers in a small group.

Marshpepper smartweed has dark green sword shaped leaves and flower spikes that droop. The tiny flowers are spaced out and typically green to white.

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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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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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Flowering Rush

Flowering rush flowers, some buds, some open, some spent on a single plant.

Flowering rush can be submersed or emersed and has round stems that can grow up to four feet tall. Clusters of pink flowers grow on a single stalk.

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Cordgrass

Cordgrass cluster in sand.

Cordgrass has hollow stems grouped together up to eight feet tall. Leaves are spine like and clustered flowers branch loosely.

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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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Cogongrass

Cogongrass in field.

The narrow leaves of cogongrass grow directly from the rhizomes; they are light green when young and turn orange to brown as they age.

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Blue Flag

Blue flag at water's edge with bridge in background.

Blue flag has long narrow green leaves that arch and show blue or indigo flowers.

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Phragmites

Group of phragmites in a field.

Phragmites have round, hollow stems with a seed head at the end of the stem.

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