Scirpus polyphyllus — leafy bulrush
![Stems and sheaths: Scirpus polyphyllus. ~ By Derick B. Poindexter. ~ Copyright © 2024 Derick B. Poindexter. ~ dpoindex[at]live.unc.edu ~ Vascular Flora of Alleghany County, NC - vascularflora.appstate.edu/](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Cyperaceae/scirpus-polyphyllus-ss-dpoindexter1.jpg)
![Inflorescences: Scirpus polyphyllus. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Cyperaceae/scirpus-polyphyllus-in-ahaines-b.jpg)
![Leaves and auricles: Scirpus polyphyllus. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Cyperaceae/scirpus-polyphyllus-la-ahaines-c.jpg)
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Facts
Leafy bulrush is known from only a few current or historic populations in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont. It is found in riparian forests, and at the edges of ponds, streams and swamps.
Habitat
Floodplain (river or stream floodplains), forests, shores of rivers or lakes, swamps
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
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enlargeCharacteristics
- Habitat
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Stem shape in cross-section
- the stem is roughly triangular in cross-section
- Leaf blade width
- 5–8 mm
- Leaf blade cross-section
- the leaf blade is flat or rolled in at the edges
- Inflorescence position
-
- the inflorescence appears to come from the side of the plant because the involucral bract at its base looks like an extension of the main stem
- the inflorescence is at the tip of the plant
- Inflorescence branching
- the inflorescence is branched
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is like a seed, and surrounded by scales
- Fruit length
- 1.1–1.8 mm
- Leaf position on plant
-
- some leaf attachment points are above the midpoint of the stem
- the attachment points of all the leaves are at or near the base of the plant
- Perianth composition
- there are bristles attached at the base of the achene
- Fruit cross-section
-
- the fruit is lenticular (lens-shaped) in cross-section
- the fruit is triangular to terete (circular) in cross-section
-
Flowers
- Floral bristle color
- the bristles are pale brown to brown
- Floral bristle number
- 5-7
- Floral bristle relative length
- the bristles are longer than the achene
- Floral bristles
- the bristles are strongly bent or curled
- Floral scale hairs
- there are no hairs on the floral scales
- Floral scale length
- 1–1.5 mm
- Floral scale nerves
- 1
- Floral scale shape
- the floral scales are orbicular (circular in outline)
- Floral scale translucent
- the floral scales are opaque
- Inflorescence bract angle
- the bracts are vertical or angled only slightly outwards
- Inflorescence bract number
- there are two to five bracts per inflorescence
- Inflorescence bract position (Sparganium)
- NA
- Inflorescence bracts
- there are at least two bracts, and they are either flat or folded or rolled in at the edges
- Inflorescence branching
- the inflorescence is branched
- Inflorescence crowding
- the inflorescence is at least somewhat spread out, with at least one branch coming from the main stem
- Inflorescence position
-
- the inflorescence appears to come from the side of the plant because the involucral bract at its base looks like an extension of the main stem
- the inflorescence is at the tip of the plant
- Inflorescence shape
- the aggregations within the inflorescence are roughly circular (not flattened) in cross-section
- Inflorescence type
- there are two or more flowers, spikes or flower clusters on a branched inflorescence
- Perianth composition
- there are bristles attached at the base of the achene
- Stamen number
-
- 1
- 2
- 3
- Stigma number
- 3
- Style division
- the top two thirds of the style is divided
- floral bristle barbs
- the bristles have tiny barbs on them
- plantlets budding at flower bases
- yes
-
Fruits or seeds
- Achene tubercle relative width
- NA
- Achene tubercle width
- 0 mm
- Capsule relative length
- NA
- Fruit cross-section
-
- the fruit is lenticular (lens-shaped) in cross-section
- the fruit is triangular to terete (circular) in cross-section
- Fruit length
- 1.1–1.8 mm
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is like a seed, and surrounded by scales
- Fruit type (specific)
- the fruit is an achene (dry, seed-like fruit) without a tubercle (a swelling or projection, usually of a different color or texture)
- Locules in capsule
- NA
- Seed length
- 0 mm
- Seed tail relative length
- 0 mm
- Seed tails
- NA
- Tubercle height
- 0 mm
-
Growth form
- Lifespan
- the plant lives more than two years
- Underground organs
- the plant has a rhizome (a horizontal underground stem with roots growing from it)
-
Leaves
- Auricle length
- 0 mm
- Auricle texture
- NA
- Auricles
- there are no auricles on the leaf sheath
- Leaf blade cross-section
- the leaf blade is flat or rolled in at the edges
- Leaf blade length
- 160–310 mm
- Leaf blade width
- 5–8 mm
- Leaf form
- all the leaves hold their form out of water
- Leaf position on plant
-
- some leaf attachment points are above the midpoint of the stem
- the attachment points of all the leaves are at or near the base of the plant
- Leaf septa
- the leaf blades do not have transverse septa
- Leaf sheath hairs
- the leaf sheathes are without hairs
- Pedicel length (Typha)
- 0 mm
- Stem leaf blade ligules
- the plant has ligules at the leaf blade bases
- Stem leaf blades
- there are fully-developed leaves with leaf blades on the main stem
-
Place
- Habitat
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- forests
- river or stream floodplains
- shores of rivers or lakes
- swamps
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Plant height
- 50–150 cm
- Stem shape in cross-section
- the stem is roughly triangular in cross-section
- Stem texture near tip
- the stem feels smooth near the tip
- Stem thickness at midpoint
- 3–10 mm
Wetland status
Occurs only in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: OBL)
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- absent
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Connecticut
- unrankable (S-rank: SU)
- Massachusetts
- rare (uncertain) (S-rank: S2?)
- New Hampshire
- historical (S-rank: SH), endangered (code: E)
- Vermont
- uncommon (S-rank: S3)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
12. Scirpus polyphyllus Vahl NC
leafy bulrush. CT, MA, NH, VT. Low, riparian forests, stream and pond borders, swamp edges. Reports of this species from RI are based on a collection of Scirpus georgianus— Champlin 274 (Champlin Herb.).
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Scirpus atrovirens:
- leaves 6–11 on each stem, floral scales green-brown or brown to black, elliptic to broad-elliptic, and achenes 0.4-0.6 mm wide (vs. S. polyphyllus, with leaves mostly 14–22 on each stem, floral scales red-brown, orbicular or nearly so, and achenes 0.8-1 mm wide).