Schoenoplectus mucronatus
Encyclopedia
Schoenoplectus mucronatus (syn.
Scirpus mucronatus) is a species of flowering plant in the sedge family
known by the common names bog bulrush, roughseed bulrush, and ricefield bulrush. It is native to Eurasia and Africa it is known on other continents as an introduced species
and sometimes a weed
. It is a weed of rice fields
in California
. It grows in moist and wet terrestrial habitat, and in shallow water. It is a perennial herb growing from a short, hard rhizome
. The erect, three-angled stems grow in dense clumps and reach a meter tall. The leaves take the form of sheaths wrapped around the base of stem, but they generally do not have blades. The inflorescence
is a headlike cluster of cone-shaped spikelets accompanied by an angled, stiff bract
which may look like a continuation of the stem.
Synonym (taxonomy)
In scientific nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that is or was used for a taxon of organisms that also goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linnaeus was the first to give a scientific name to the Norway spruce, which he called Pinus abies...
Scirpus mucronatus) is a species of flowering plant in the sedge family
Cyperaceae
Cyperaceae are a family of monocotyledonous graminoid flowering plants known as sedges, which superficially resemble grasses or rushes. The family is large, with some 5,500 species described in about 109 genera. These species are widely distributed, with the centers of diversity for the group...
known by the common names bog bulrush, roughseed bulrush, and ricefield bulrush. It is native to Eurasia and Africa it is known on other continents as an introduced species
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
and sometimes a weed
Weed
A weed in a general sense is a plant that is considered by the user of the term to be a nuisance, and normally applied to unwanted plants in human-controlled settings, especially farm fields and gardens, but also lawns, parks, woods, and other areas. More specifically, the term is often used to...
. It is a weed of rice fields
Paddy field
A paddy field is a flooded parcel of arable land used for growing rice and other semiaquatic crops. Paddy fields are a typical feature of rice farming in east, south and southeast Asia. Paddies can be built into steep hillsides as terraces and adjacent to depressed or steeply sloped features such...
in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It grows in moist and wet terrestrial habitat, and in shallow water. It is a perennial herb growing from a short, hard rhizome
Rhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes...
. The erect, three-angled stems grow in dense clumps and reach a meter tall. The leaves take the form of sheaths wrapped around the base of stem, but they generally do not have blades. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is a headlike cluster of cone-shaped spikelets accompanied by an angled, stiff bract
Bract
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis, or cone scale. Bracts are often different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of a different color, shape, or texture...
which may look like a continuation of the stem.