Frog Rush

Frog Rush - Juncus ranarius

Alternative names
Juncus ambiguus
Description

Frog Rush is a small rush which usually forms prostrate rosettes. Single stems grow up to about 5 cm or so.  Inner tepals rounded to emarginate, with mucronate tips, capsule longer than or same length as tepals.  (reference: Stace 4th edition).

Plants for closer examination may be picked out in the field by the distinctive light brown colour and small clusters of fruits, rather than all flowers spaced out, as in Toad Rush.

Similar Species

Toad Rush, Juncus bufonius.

Identification difficulty
Recording advice

This is unlikely to be verified from a field photo, and the County Recorder may wish to see a specimen.  To confirm identity, details of tepal and capsule are needed; refer to Stace 4th edition for more information.

Habitat

Lake margins, saline marshes, often on bare ground.

When to see it

Flowering June to October.

Life History

Annual.

UK Status

Formerly mainly coastal in Britain but now seems to be spreading inland.

VC55 Status

Recently separated from Juncus bufonius and therefore not recorded in the past in Leicestershire and Rutland; status unknown.

Although it is a rarely recorded native in VC55, It is not on the current RPR (Hall & Woodward, 2022), but is listed as 'data deficient' because of the recent taxonomic split. 

 

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2025+ | 2020-2024 | pre-2020

UK Map

Additional images

No additional images available for this species.

All NatureSpot records