Wisconsin's rare plants

Northern Wild Rice is a tall annual grass reaching up to 9' tall. Early in the season leaves lay flat on the water's surface but later will ascend as the flowering stalk develops. Leaves, sheaths, stems, and nodes are glabrous, though the ligule is made of hairs. Northern Wild Rice is one of the few grasses in Wisconsin with separate male and female florets. Male, or staminate, florets are arranged below the female, or pistillate, ones. The female florets mature into narrowly elliptic grains.

Zizania palustris is most likely to be confused with Z aquatica, a species more common in southern Wisconsin than the more northerly Z palustris. Zizania aquatica is also much larger than Z palustris. The leaves of Z palustris tend to be no wider than 1.5cm while those of Z aquatica are wider than 1.5cm.

Plants germinate in early-spring and remain submerged under water until mid-June when it enters a floating leaf phase. By mid-July plants have emerged above the water and flower until the end of August. Seed is mature by early-September.

Annual. The optimal identification period for this species is July through September.

Wild rice is an extremely important species both ecologically, as a source of food and habitat for wildlife and in its ability to improve water quality where it grows, and culturally for the Native American people living in northern Wisconsin. The Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission has more information on the ecological and cultural importance of wild rice. (https://glifwc.org/stewardship/ganawenindiwag-manoomin-anishinaabeg). The DNR website has information on harvesting wild rice as well as tools for seeing where it grows (https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/wildlifehabitat/rice).

Northern wild rice is found in slow moving water of rivers or drainage lakes over mucky substrate.

Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) are associated with habitats (or natural communities) and places on the landscape. Understanding relationships among SGCN, natural communities and ecological landscapes help us make decisions about issues affecting SGCN and their habitat and how to respond. Download the Wildlife Action Plan association score spreadsheet to explore rare species, natural communities and ecological landscape associations

Conservation actions respond to issues or threats, which adversely affect species of greatest conservation need (SGCN) or their habitats. Besides actions such as restoring wetlands or planting resilient tree species in northern communities, research, surveys and monitoring are also among conservation actions described in the Wisconsin Wildlife Action Plan because lack of information can threaten our ability to successfully preserve and care for natural resources.