''Scirpus'' is a genus of grass-like species in the sedge family Cyperaceae many with the common names club-rush, wood club-rush or bulrush (see also

bulrush Bulrush is a vernacular name for several large wetland grass-like plants *Sedge family (Cyperaceae): **''Cyperus'' **'' Scirpus'' **''Blysmus'' **''Bolboschoenus'' **'' Scirpoides'' **'' Isolepis'' **'' Schoenoplectus'' **'' Trichophorum'' * T ...

for other plant genera so-named). They mostly inhabit wetlands and damp locations.

Taxonomy

The taxonomy of the genus is complex, and under review by

botanists This is a list of botanists who have Wikipedia articles, in alphabetical order by surname. The List of botanists by author abbreviation is mostly a list of plant taxonomists because an author receives a standard abbreviation only when that auth ...

. Recent studies by

taxonomists In biology, taxonomy () is the scientific study of naming, defining ( circumscribing) and classifying groups of biological organisms based on shared characteristics. Organisms are grouped into taxa (singular: taxon) and these groups are given ...

of the Cyperaceae have resulted in the creation of several new genera, including the genera ''

Schoenoplectus ''Schoenoplectus'' (club-rush ld World species bulrush or tule ew World species is a genus of plants in the sedges with a cosmopolitan distribution. Note that the name bulrush is also applied to species in the unrelated genus ''Typha'' as well ...

'' and ''

Bolboschoenus ''Bolboschoenus'' is a genus of plants in the sedge family, of nearly cosmopolitan distribution. Epipaleolithic and Neolithic peoples used ground root tubers of these plants to make the first breads. ; Accepted species * ''Bolboschoenus caldw ...

''; others (including '' Blysmus'', ''

Isolepis ''Isolepis'' is a cosmopolitan genus of sedge containing around 70 species. ''Isolepis'' is found in cool tropical and temperate climates often in Africa and Australasia. ''Isolepis'' was first described by prolific botanist Robert Brown in 181 ...

'', '' Nomochloa'', and ''

Scirpoides ''Scirpoides'' is a genus of sedges (Cyperaceae), native to Europe and adjoining areas, and introduced elsewhere. It was split off from ''Scirpus''. Species Species include: *''Scirpoides burkei'' (C.B.Clarke) Goetgh., Muasya & D.A.Simpson *' ...

'') have also been used. At one point this genus held almost 300 species, but many of the species once assigned to it have now been reassigned, and it now holds an estimated 120 species.

Description

''Scirpus'' are rhizomatous perennial herbs, with 3-angled stems and flat grass-like leaves. The flowers are in clusters of small spikelets, often brown or greenish brown. Some species (e.g. ''S. lacustris'') can reach a height of 3 m, while ''S. sylvaticus'' is about 1.2 m and others, such as ''S. supinus'', are much smaller, only reaching 20–30 cm tall.

Distribution

The genus has a nearly cosmopolitan distribution, found on every continent except

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

and

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest cont ...

Ecology

Many species are common in wetlands and can produce dense stands of vegetation, along rivers, in coastal deltas and in ponds and potholes. Although flooding is the most important factor affecting its distribution, drought, ice scour, grazing, fire and salinity also affect its abundance. It can survive unfavourable conditions like prolonged flooding, or drought, as buried seeds ''Scirpus'' species are used as food plants by the

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. ...

e of some Lepidoptera species, including ''

Chedra microstigma ''Chedra microstigma'' is a tiny moth of the family Batrachedridae described in 1907. It has only been found on Oahu. It has been found feeding on sedges, plants belonging to the Cyperaceae family, and its larvae host at least three species of pa ...

'' and ''

Scirpophaga nivella ''Scirpophaga nivella'' is a moth in the family Crambidae. It was described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1794. It is found in southern Asia from the Indian Subcontinent in the west to southern China in the east, south to New Guinea and Austra ...

''.

Selected species

:''(This list is incomplete, and may include some species now assigned to other genera.)'' *''

Scirpus ancistrochaetus ''Scirpus ancistrochaetus'' is a rare species of flowering plant in the sedge family known by the common names barbedbristle bulrush and northeastern bulrush. It is native to the northeastern United States from New Hampshire south to Virginia. I ...

'' northeastern bulrush *''

Scirpus atrocinctus ''Scirpus'' is a genus of grass-like species in the sedge family Cyperaceae many with the common names club-rush, wood club-rush or bulrush (see also bulrush for other plant genera so-named). They mostly inhabit wetlands and damp locations. Tax ...

'' black-girdle bulrush *''

Scirpus atrovirens ''Scirpus atrovirens'', known as dark-green bulrush, is a perennial sedge native to wetlands of eastern Canada and the United States. It is sometimes called dark green bulsedge, black bulrush, or green bulrush. It was first formally named by Ca ...

'' woolgrass bulrush *''

Scirpus bicolor ''Scirpus bicolor'' is a species of plant in the sedge family, Cyperaceae. The plant is endemic to Tristan da Cunha, Nightingale Island, Inaccessible Island and Gough Island. Its natural habitats are subantarctic forest A forest is an a ...

'' *''

Scirpus campestris ''Scirpus'' is a genus of grass-like species in the sedge family Cyperaceae many with the common names club-rush, wood club-rush or bulrush (see also bulrush for other plant genera so-named). They mostly inhabit wetlands and damp locations. Tax ...

'' salt marsh bulrush *'' Scirpus cespitosus'' deergrass, synonymous with Trichophorum cespitosum *''

Scirpus congdonii ''Scirpus congdonii'' is a species of flowering plant in the sedge family known by the common name Congdon's bulrush after noted Californian botanist J.W. Congdon. It is native to the mountains and plateaus of far northern California and adjace ...

'' Congdon's bulrush *''

Scirpus cyperinus ''Scirpus cyperinus'', commonly known as woolgrass, is an emergent wetland herb that is native to the eastern United States and eastern Canada. Other common names include cottongrass bulrush Scirpus diffusus ''Scirpus diffusus'' is a species of flowering plant in the sedge family known by the common name umbrella bulrush. It is endemic to California, where it can be found in several of the high mountain ranges from the Klamath Mountains to the Sier ...

'' *''

Scirpus divaricatus ''Scirpus'' is a genus of grass-like species in the sedge family Cyperaceae many with the common names club-rush, wood club-rush or bulrush (see also bulrush for other plant genera so-named). They mostly inhabit wetlands and damp locations. Tax ...

'' spreading bulrush *'' Scirpus expansus'' Woodland beakrush *''

Scirpus flaccidifolius ''Scirpus flaccidifolius'', the reclining bulrush, is an uncommon plant species endemic to a small region in Virginia and North Carolina. It is reported from only six populations in three counties in Virginia ( Greensville, Sussex and Southampt ...

'' reclining bulrush *'' Scirpus fluitans'' floating club-rush *'' Scirpus fluviatilis'' - river bulrush *'' Scirpus georgianus'' Georgia bulrush *'' Scirpus grossus'' Greater club-rush, Giant bulrush *'' Scirpus hattorianus'' - mosquito bulrush *'' Scirpus lineatus'' drooping bulrush *'' Scirpus longii'' Long's bulrush *'' Scirpus mariqueter'' *'' Scirpus microcarpus'' small-fruit bulrush *'' Scirpus mucronatus'' *'' Scirpus nevadensis'' Nevada bulrush *'' Scirpus olneyi'' Olney bulrush, synonymous with ''

Schoenoplectus americanus ''Schoenoplectus americanus'' ( syn. ''Scirpus americanus'') is a species of flowering plant in the sedge family known by the common names chairmaker's bulrush and Olney's three-square bulrush. It is native to the Americas, where it is known fro ...

'' *'' Scirpus pacificus'' Pacific Coast bulrush *'' Scirpus pallidus'' pale bulrush *'' Scirpus paludosus'' salt marsh bulrush *'' Scirpus pedicellatus'' stalked bulrush *'' Scirpus pendulus'' pendulous bulrush *'' Scirpus polyphyllus'' leafy bulrush *'' Scirpus pumilus'' dwarf deergrass *'' Scirpus pungens'' sharp club-rush *'' Scirpus radicans'' *''

Scirpus robustus ''Bolboschoenus robustus'' is a species of flowering plant in the sedge family. It is known by many common names: saltmarsh bulrush, alkali bulrush, sturdy bulrush, seacoast bulrush, stout bulrush, three-cornered sedge or leafy three-cornered se ...

'' salt marsh bulrush *'' Scirpus supinus'' dwarf club-rush *'' Scirpus sylvaticus'' wood club-rush *'' Scirpus triqueter'' triangular club-rush ;Selected species in a broader view of the genus *'' Bolboschoenus maritimus'' sea club-rush *'' Isolepis cernua'' slender club-rush *'' Isolepis setacea'' bristle club-rush *''

Schoenoplectus acutus ''Schoenoplectus acutus'' ( syn. ''Scirpus acutus, Schoenoplectus lacustris, Scirpus lacustris'' subsp. ''acutus''), called tule , common tule, hardstem tule, tule rush, hardstem bulrush, or viscid bulrush, is a giant species of sedge in the pl ...

'' tule *'' Schoenoplectus hudsonianus'' alpine deergrass *''

Schoenoplectus lacustris ''Schoenoplectus lacustris'', the lakeshore bulrush or common club-rush, is a species of club-rush (genus ''Schoenoplectus'') that grows in fresh water across Europe and some neighbouring areas. Description ''Schoenoplectus lacustris'' grows up ...

'' common club-rush *''

Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani ''Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani'' ( syn. ''Scirpus validus'') is a species of flowering plant in the sedge family known by the common names softstem bulrush, grey club-rush, and great bulrush. It can be found throughout much of the world; it ha ...

'' *''

Scirpoides holoschoenus ''Scirpoides holoschoenus'' is a species of perennial sedge in the family Cyperaceae The Cyperaceae are a family of graminoid (grass-like), monocotyledonous flowering plants known as sedges. The family is large, with some 5,500 known spec ...

'' round-headed club-rush

Fossil record

Several hundred

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...

fruits of ''Scirpus ragozinii'' have been described from middle Miocene strata of the Fasterholt area near

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Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

. 35

fruits of the extant ''Scirpus sylvaticus'' have been extracted from borehole samples of the Middle Miocene fresh water deposits in Nowy Sacz Basin, West Carpathians, Poland.Łańcucka-Środoniowa M.: Macroscopic plant remains from the freshwater Miocene of the Nowy Sącz Basin (West Carpathians, Poland) [Szczątki makroskopowe roślin z miocenu słodkowodnego Kotliny Sądeckiej (Karpaty Zachodnie, Polska)]. Acta Palaeobotanica 1979 20 (1): 3-117.

Uses

''Scirpus'' species are often planted to inhibit soil erosion and provide habitat for other wildlife. They are also used in some herbal remedies; the plant's rhizomes are collected in the autumn and winter and dried in the sun before use.

References

External links

Genus ''Scirpus''

* [http://www.northernbushcraft.com/plants/bulrush/notes.htm Edibility of Scirpus]: Edible parts and identification of ''Scirpus''

Sources

* Muntz, Philip A. ''A California Flora''. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1973, copyright 1959 * Muntz, Philip A. ''A California Flora: Supplement’’. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1976 (Scirpus lacutris, validus, glaucus, p. 183)) {{Taxonbar, from=Q159220 Scirpus, Cyperaceae genera