The plant
genusIn biology, a genus is a taxonomic unit used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The term comes from Latin genus "descent, family, type, gender" , cognate with – genos, "race, stock, kin" ..In addition, genus is a taxonomic rank in the hierarchy In biology, a genus (plural:...
Scirpus consists of a large number of aquatic, grass-like species in the family
CyperaceaeCyperaceae is a family of monocot flowering plants known as sedges, which superficially resemble grasses or rushes. The family is large, with some 4,000 species described in about 70 genera. These species are widely distributed, with the centers of diversity for the group occurring in tropical...
(the sedges), many with the common names
club-rush or
bulrush (see also
bulrush-Wetland plants:* Bolboschoenus, a genus in the sedge family * Cyperus, a genus in the sedge family * Scirpus, a genus in the sedge family * Schoenoplectus, a genus in the sedge family...
for other plants so-named). Other common names are
deergrass or
grassweed.
The genus has a
cosmopolitan distributionIn biogeography, cosmopolitan distribution is a state of being found almost anywhere around the world. A cosmopolitan biological category, e.g. genus, may be called a cosmopolite.Examples of cosmopolitan species:* Humans* House dust mite...
, and grows in wetlands and moist soil. Some species specialize in
salineSalinity is the saltiness or dissolved salt content of a body of water. It is a general term used to describe the levels of different salts such as sodium chloride, magnesium and calcium sulfates, and bicarbonates...
,
marshIn geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland which is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, and other herbaceous plants. Woody plants will be low-growing shrubs. A marsh is different from a swamp,...
y, environments such as intertidal mud-flats; others prefer ponds or
lakeA lake is a terrain feature , a body of liquid on the surface of a world that is localized to the bottom of basin and moves slowly if it moves at all. Another definition is, a body of fresh or salt water of considerable size that is surrounded by land...
-sides and
riverA river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing toward an ocean, a lake, a sea or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water...
-beds.
The plant
genusIn biology, a genus is a taxonomic unit used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The term comes from Latin genus "descent, family, type, gender" , cognate with – genos, "race, stock, kin" ..In addition, genus is a taxonomic rank in the hierarchy In biology, a genus (plural:...
Scirpus consists of a large number of aquatic, grass-like species in the family
CyperaceaeCyperaceae is a family of monocot flowering plants known as sedges, which superficially resemble grasses or rushes. The family is large, with some 4,000 species described in about 70 genera. These species are widely distributed, with the centers of diversity for the group occurring in tropical...
(the sedges), many with the common names
club-rush or
bulrush (see also
bulrush-Wetland plants:* Bolboschoenus, a genus in the sedge family * Cyperus, a genus in the sedge family * Scirpus, a genus in the sedge family * Schoenoplectus, a genus in the sedge family...
for other plants so-named). Other common names are
deergrass or
grassweed.
The genus has a
cosmopolitan distributionIn biogeography, cosmopolitan distribution is a state of being found almost anywhere around the world. A cosmopolitan biological category, e.g. genus, may be called a cosmopolite.Examples of cosmopolitan species:* Humans* House dust mite...
, and grows in wetlands and moist soil. Some species specialize in
salineSalinity is the saltiness or dissolved salt content of a body of water. It is a general term used to describe the levels of different salts such as sodium chloride, magnesium and calcium sulfates, and bicarbonates...
,
marshIn geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland which is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, and other herbaceous plants. Woody plants will be low-growing shrubs. A marsh is different from a swamp,...
y, environments such as intertidal mud-flats; others prefer ponds or
lakeA lake is a terrain feature , a body of liquid on the surface of a world that is localized to the bottom of basin and moves slowly if it moves at all. Another definition is, a body of fresh or salt water of considerable size that is surrounded by land...
-sides and
riverA river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing toward an ocean, a lake, a sea or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water...
-beds. They have grass-like leaves, and clusters of small spikelets, often brown in colour. Some species (e.g.
S. lacustris) can reach a height of 3 m, while others (e.g.
S. supinus) are much smaller, only reaching 20-30 cm tall.
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.
The taxonomy of the genus is complex, and under review by botanists. Recent studies by
taxonomistsTaxonomy is the practice and science of classification. The word finds its roots in the Greek , taxis and , nomos...
of the Cyperaceae have resulted in the creation of several new genera, including the genera
SchoenoplectusSchoenoplectus is a genus of about 80 species of sedges with a cosmopolitan distribution. Note that the name bulrush is also applied to species in the unrelated genus Typha...
and
Bolboschoenus; others (including
Blysmus,
Isolepis,
Nomochloa, and
Scirpoides) have also been used. At one point this genus held almost 300 species, but many of the species once assigned to this genus have now been re-assigned, and it now holds an estimated 120 species.
Scirpus species are used as food plants by the
larvaA larva is a young form of animal with indirect development, going through or undergoing metamorphosis ....
e of some
LepidopteraLepidoptera is an order of insects that includes moths and butterflies. It is one of the most speciose orders in the class Insecta, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
species including
Batrachedra cuniculataBatrachedra is the biggest genus in the family Batrachedridae.It contains the following species:*Batrachedra acrodeta*Batrachedra agaura*Batrachedra albanica*Batrachedra albicapitella*Batrachedra albistrigella...
.
Selected species
- (This list is incomplete, and may include some species now assigned to other genera.)
- Scirpus ancistrochaetus Northeastern Bulrush
- Scirpus atrocinctus Black-girdle Bulrush
- Scirpus atrovirens Woolgrass Bulrush
- Scirpus bicolor
Scirpus bicolor is a species of plant in the Cyperaceae family. It is endemic to Saint Helena. Its natural habitats are subantarctic forests, subantarctic shrubland, and swamps.-References:* Jakubowsky, G. 2003. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
- Scirpus campestris Salt Marsh Bulrush
- Scirpus cespitosus Deergrass
- Scirpus congdonii Congdon's Bulrush
- Scirpus cyperinus
Scirpus cyperinus, or Woolgrass, is a herbaceous emergent in the United States....
- Cottongrass Bulrush
- Scirpus diffusus
- Scirpus divaricatus Spreading Bulrush
- Scirpus expansus Woodland Beakrush
- Scirpus flaccidifolius Reclining Bulrush
- Scirpus fluitans Floating Club-rush
- Scirpus fluviatilis
Scirpus fluviatilis is a species of plant in the Cyperaceae family. Its range spans from east Asia to North America and Australia.-Habitat:...
- River Bulrush
- Scirpus georgianus Georgia Bulrush
- Scirpus hattorianus 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
- 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
Scirpus pungens, or Common Three-Square, is a herbaceous emergent in the United States....
Sharp Club-rush
- Scirpus radicans
- Scirpus robustus Salt Marsh Bulrush
- Scirpus supinus Dwarf Club-rush
- Scirpus sylvaticus Wood Club-rush
- Scirpus tabernaemontani
- Scirpus triqueter Triangular Club-rush
Selected species in a broader view of the genus
- Bolboschoenus maritimus Sea Club-rush
- Isolepis cernua
Isolepis cernua grows along temperate coastlines of Australia, flowering from September to March.-External links:*...
Slender Club-rush
- Isolepis setaceus Bristle Club-rush
- Schoenoplectus acutus Tule
- Schoenoplectus hudsonianus Alpine Deergrass
- Schoenoplectus lacustris Common Club-rush
- Scirpoides holoschoenus Round-headed Club-rush
External links
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))