Soft-stem bulrush
Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani (C.C. Gmel.) Palla
[=Scirpus validus Vahl ]
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Morphology
- Culm
- Erect, stout, unbranched, round in cross-section, to 1 inch in diameter, soft, pale green, glabrous.
- Leaves
- Mostly sheathing and without blades, upper ones sometimes with tapered blades.
- Inflorescence
- Umbels, panicle-like, loose, much-branched, terminal, consisting of numerous compact clusters of 1-5 spikelets on rays .5 to 2.5 inches long; bract usually solitary, erect, leaf-like, round in cross-section, shorter than inflorescences, appearing as a continuation of culm.
- Spikelet
- Sessile or stalked, egg-shaped to cylindric, to 1/2 inch long, many-flowered; tips nearly pointed; flowers perfect; scales ovate to nearly round, as long or slightly longer than achenes, reddish brown, midribs greenish; tips abruptly short-pointed; bristles 4-6, at bases of flowers, as long or longer than achenes; stamens 3; styles 3-cleft.
- Fruit
- Achenes, egg-shaped, 3-angled, brown, 1-seeded.
Ecology
- Habitat
- Marshy areas, pond and stream edges, and wet roadside ditches, most abundant in shallow water or moisture-saturated soils.
- Distribution
- Throughout Kansas.
Practical Information
- Uses
- Native Americans used the roots and stem bases for food and weaved baskets and mats from the stems.
Additional Notes
Comments
Soft-stem bulrush often grows in colonies. The roots spread under water or below the surface of the soil and form a mat of new shoots. The seeds can remain dormant for several years.
Synonyms
Alternative scientific names that have been used for this plant.
Scientific Name: Scirpus validus
Full Citation: Scirpus validus Vahl
Quick Facts
- Plant Type
- Sedge
- Family
- Cyperaceae - Sedge Family
- Life Span
- Perennial
- Height
- 3-10 feet
- Last Updated
- 2007-10-06
Flowering Period
Blooms: June, July, August