Common names: flowering rush, grassy rush, water-gladiolus

Family: Butomaceae

Could be confused with: Echinodorus, Juncus, Sagittaria, Sparganium, Typha.

Native distribution: northern Africa, Asia, Europe.

Species commonly cultivated:
Butomus umbellatus L. (northern Africa, Asia, Europe)

Adventive distribution: North America.

Weed status: Declared an aquatic noxious weed in the United States in MN, NH, VT, and WA.

Habit: Rush-like plant, submerged or more commonly emergent.

Brief description: Perennial. Leaves of emergent form grass-like, up to 100 cm or more long, triangular in cross-section, produced basally in 2 ranks from a fleshy rhizome; base acuminate. Inflorescence a many-flowered umbel, borne on a scape 1 to 1.5 m tall, above leaves, pedicels 5-10 cm long. Flowers actinomorphic, showy, perfect, pink; sepals 3, petaloid; petals 3; stamens 9 or 6. Dispersal by rhizome fragments.

Natural habitat: Still or slowly moving water, marshes, shores of lakes, ponds, riverbanks, wet ground.

Additional comments: The genus Butomus consists of only one species, B. umbellatus. Butomus is similar to members of Alismataceae (and is sometimes placed in that family) but differs in having only 6 carpels and 6-9 stamens.