Schoenoplectus californicus

Schoenoplectus californicus; California bulrush
	Inflorescence
Conservation status
	; Secure (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Monocots
(unranked):	Commelinids
Order:	Poales
Family:	Cyperaceae
Genus:	Schoenoplectus
Species:	S. californicus
Binomial name
	Schoenoplectus californicus; (C.A. Mey.) Steud.
Synonyms
	Numerous, see text

Schoeneoplectus californicus is a species of sedge known by the common names California bulrush and giant bulrush. It is also sometimes called "tule", but the closely related Schoenoplectus acutus is the more correct owner of that name.

Description

Schoenoplectus californicus is a rhizomed water plant found in marshy areas from southern and western North America to South America and on Pacific islands including some of those in the Hawaiian and Cook chains. It has tall, thin, dark green stems which are usually triangular in cross-section and woolly, bristly tan or brown flowers in panicle inflorescences.

Uses

A notable subspecies is the Totora, Schoenoplectus californicus ssp. tatora. This is famous for making up the floating islands on which the Uros people of Lake Titicaca dwell, as well as occurring on isolated Easter Island in the Pacific.

Synonyms

Obsolete scientific names for this plant include:

Dichromena atrosanguinea
Elytrospermum californicus
Malacochaete assimilis
Malacochaete chilense
Malacochaete oligostachya
Malacochaete riparia
Malacochaete sanguinolenta
Malacochaete tatora (for ssp. tatora)
Schoenoplectus riparius
Schoenoplectus tatora (for ssp. tatora)
Schoenoplectus totora (lapsus, for ssp. tatora)
Scirpus californicus
Scirpus chamissonis (for var. chamissonis)
Scirpus decipiens
Scirpus pseudotriquetes
Scirpus rigidus
Scirpus riparius
Scirpus tereticulmis (for var. tereticulmis)

External links

References

Jepson Interchange: Schoenoplectus californicus

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