''Bolboschoenus planiculmis'' is a species of flowering plant in the sedge family

Cyperaceae The Cyperaceae () are a family of graminoid (grass-like), monocotyledonous flowering plants known as wikt:sedge, sedges. The family (biology), family is large; botanists have species description, described some 5,500 known species in about 90 ...

. It sprouts from tubers or seeds from April to May and flowers between May and July, with the aboveground biomass dying back in October. It is distributed in estuaries across and throughout East Asia, Central Asia, and Central Europe with small populations reported in Western European countries such as the Netherlands. ''B. planiculmis'' can be identified by its bifid styles as opposed to the trifid styles which are found on all other Bolboschoenus species in Europe.

Ecology

''Bolboschoenus planiculmis'' is a perennial clonal plant with a height of 20–100 centimeters that reproduces both sexually through seeds and asexually through

vegetative propagation Vegetative reproduction (also known as vegetative propagation, vegetative multiplication or cloning) is a form of asexual reproduction occurring in plants in which a new plant grows from a fragment or cutting of the parent plant or specializ ...

. As the fruits of ''B. planiculmis'' are floatable, it has been suggested that spreading after floods is a possible means of distribution. ''Bolboschoenus planiculmis'' is a key wetland plant in many areas. Although it is a

glycophyte A halophyte is a salt-tolerant plant that grows in soil or waters of high salinity, coming into contact with saline water through its roots or by salt spray, such as in saline semi-deserts, mangrove swamps, Marsh, marshes and Slough (hydrology) ...

, ''B. planiculmis'' was found to be more salt-tolerant than other freshwater species, as is consistent with its propagation in saline habitats, alkaline water, and mineral-rich substrates. It has also shown adaptability to agricultural management, i.e. in pastures or arable land on the sites of former saline habitats. Like many ''Bolboschoenus'' species, it is commonly distributed in saline wetlands and occupies a wide variety of habitats in both coastal and inland salt marshes; it adapts easily and well to both temporarily flood terrestrial areas as well as long-term dry periods in the form of dormant underground tubers. However, as it is usually smaller than other ''Bolboschoenus'' species, i.e. ''

Bolboschoenus laticarpus ''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 cald ...

'' and ''

Bolboschoenus yagara ''Bolboschoenus yagara'' is a species of flowering plant in the sedge family Cyperaceae. It is a perennial clonal herb, 0.8 to 1.3 meters tall, and develops underground rhizomes that terminate in spherical or ellipsoid tubers that are up to 3-4 c ...

'', they are suppressed by high water levels and are only found rarely in streams or ponds. The adaptability of ''B. planiculmis'' to so many climes has caused it to become a nuance species in the Czech Republic, particularly in maize fields. In Songnen Plain of northeastern China, its root tubers are a food source for the endangered

Siberian crane The Siberian crane (''Leucogeranus leucogeranus''), also known as the Siberian white crane or the snow crane, is a bird of the family Gruidae, the crane (bird), cranes. They are distinctive among the cranes: adults are nearly all White, snowy whi ...

. In South Korea along the

Nakdong River The Nakdong River or Nakdonggang (, ) is the longest river in South Korea, which passes through the major cities of Daegu and Busan. It takes its name from its role as the eastern border of the Gaya confederacy during Three Kingdoms of Korea, Kor ...

Estuary, ''B. planiculmis'' tubers are a major food for swan geese and other migratory waterfowl. The estuary is located in the middle of the

East Asian–Australasian Flyway The East Asian–Australasian Flyway is one of the world's great flyways of migratory birds. At its northernmost it stretches eastwards from the Taimyr Peninsula in Russia to Alaska. Its southern end encompasses Australia and New Zealand. Between ...

where more than 170,000 birds of 157 species are monitored. ''B. planiculmis'' beds in the Nakdong estuary are major overwintering habitat for these birds. However, ''B. planiculmis'' is declining in East Asia due to the degradation of estuarine marshes as a result of embankments, land reclamation, and increased flooding from monsoons due to climate change. ''B. planiculmis'' is significantly affected by tidal restrictions from embankments as it grows in low elevation, and is affected by the accumulation of water in tide-restricted marshes with poor drainage during monsoon season, causing increased water depth and duration of flooding. An et al. (2021) found in observational trials that the optimum water depth for ''B. planiculmis'' growth and reproduction was 11.2–36.1 cm.

References

{{Authority control Bolboschoenus Plants described in 1967 Flora of Asia