Grasses | New Brunswick Plants

Grasses, Rushes, Sedges

Characteristic	Grasses (Poaceae)	Rushes (Juncaceae and Juncaginaceae)	Sedges (Cyperaceae)
Stem	Usually round (or flattened) in cross-section Hollow Nodes conspicuous	Usually round in cross-section Filled with sponge like pith Nodes not distinct	Usually triangular in cross-section (sometimes rounded) Solid stems, rarely hollow Nodes indistinct
Leaf position	2 vertical rows	3 vertical rows	3 vertical rows
Leaf blade shape	Usually flat, often folded, involute, or bristle-like Smooth or hairy	Channelled or round Usually smooth	Flat, folded, or bristle-like Rarely hairy
Leaf edges	Smooth, scabrous or finely hairy	Smooth	Usually scabrous
Ligules	Usually present	Absent or weakly developed	Absent or weakly developed
Collar	Distinct	Indistinct	Indistinct
Fruit	Grain, a solitary seed enclosed in a membrane, subtended by 2 floral scales	Capsule subtended by 6 floral scales, each capsule enclosing 3 to many seeds	Single achene subtended by a single floral scale

There are a number of plant species that have grass-like leaves and when not blooming can easily be mistaken for a grass, rush, or sedge. Examples include Seaside Plantain (Plantago maritima), Strict Blue-eyed-grass (Sisyrinchium montanum), American Shoreweed (Littorella americana), Water Awlwort (Subularia aquatica), and other members of the Melanthiaceae, Iris (Iridaceae), Typhaceae, and Xyricaceae families. Try searching within Non-woody Plant species if a grass-like plant you are trying to identify does not appear in this section.