This plant, particularly the rhizomes, are a food source of muskrat, nutria, and other animals; it is strongly favored by the Snow Goose in its wintering grounds.
The swamplands are home to a few trails as well as many different kinds of animals such as herons, egrets, ibis, bullfrogs, cottonmouths, alligators, and coypu (nutria) rats.
Based on information in The Stainless Steel Rat Saves the World it is possible to work out when the timeline is set: James is sent 32,598 years into the past to 1975, making events happen in and around 34,573 (in the 346th century) – although Professor Coypu also mentions that they are now using a different calendar to the Gregorian calendar.