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Scirpus

(Genus)

Overview

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The plant genus Scirpus consists of a large number of aquatic, grass-like species in the family Cyperaceae (the sedges), many with the common names club-rush or bulrush (see also bulrush for other plants so-named). Other common names are deergrass or grassweed.

The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution, and grows in wetlands and moist soil. Some species specialize in saline, marshy, environments such as intertidal mud-flats; others prefer ponds or lake-sides and river-beds. They have grass-like leaves, and clusters of small spikelets, often brown in color. 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 discussion by botanists. Recent studies by taxonomists of the Cyperaceae have resulted in the creation of several new genera, including the genera Schoenoplectus 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 larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Batrachedra cuniculata.

Selected species in a broader view of the genus

Taxonomy

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The Genus Scirpus is further organized into finer groupings including:

Sources

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Last Revised: August 24, 2012
2012/08/24 16:45:10