Broad-fruited bur-reed (Sparganium eurycarpum)
An emergent aquatic bur-reed common to marshes and the shorelines of ponds and lakes. Large, blade like leaves reach a height of 4-6 feet. Insects such as aquatic leaf beetles and borer moths feed on the leaves. Muskrats eat the entire plant. In mid-summer, a sequence of flowers emerges from a central stalk, and when pollinated, form hard-packed balls with numerous seeds, which are consumed by ducks and shoreline birds.