Burke: Schoenoplectus pungens vs. Schoenoplectus acutus

	Schoenoplectus pungens	Schoenoplectus acutus
	chairmaker's clubrush, common three square	hardstem bulrush, viscous bulrush, common tule
Habit	Herbaceous perennials from rhizomes, the culms triangular, 1.5-10 dm. tall, somewhat scattered.	Stout, herbaceous perennials from rhizomes, the culms 1-3 m. tall, firm, terete, often over 1 cm. thick toward the base.
Leaves	Leaves several, all near the base, firm, usually elongate and channeled or folded and 1-2 mm. wide, or flat and 2-4 mm. wide.	Leaves few, toward the base of the culm, with well-developed sheath and short blade.
Flowers	: Inflorescence a compact cluster of 1-6 sessile spikelets, 7-20 mm. long, subtended by a green bract 2-15 cm. long, like a continuation of the stem; flowers subtended by thin, translucent scales, yellowish- or reddish-brown to blackish-purple, the mid-rib exerted as a short awn; perianth bristles 4-6, unequal; stamens usually 3; style bifid or trifid.	Inflorescence umbel-like, with spikelets in small, sessile clusters on the stiff, ascending branches of the inflorescence; spikelets dull gray-brown, 8-15 mm. long; principle involucral bract solitary, 2-10 cm. long, erect, an extension of the culm, green; lesser bracts small, chaffy and brownish; scales subtending the flowers scarious, 3.5-4 mm. long, with linear, reddish-brown marks on a pale gray background, the margins somewhat lacerate; perianth of 2-6 fragile, barbellate bristles; stamens usually 3; style bifid or trifid.
Fruits	Achenes 2.2-3.3 mm. long, including the stylar beak, and 1.6-2.3 mm. wide.	Achenes 2.2-2.5 mm. long, plano-convex or unequally triangular.

	Schoenoplectus pungens	Schoenoplectus acutus
Flowering time	May-August	May-July
Habitat	Marshes and wet, low ground; tolerent of alkali.	Pond and lake margins, wetland and riparian areas.
Distribution	Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Atlantic Coast; Europe. [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east throughout all of North America except southeastern U.S. [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Origin	Native	Native
Conservation status	Not of concern	Not of concern
Sibling taxa	S. acutus, S. americanus, S. heterochaetus, S. ×kuekenthalianus, S. mucronatus, S. saximontanus, S. subterminalis, S. tabernaemontani, S. triqueter	S. americanus, S. heterochaetus, S. ×kuekenthalianus, S. mucronatus, S. pungens, S. saximontanus, S. subterminalis, S. tabernaemontani, S. triqueter
Web links	Local floras: BC, OR, WA Local Web sites: Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	Local floras: BC, OR, WA Local Web sites: Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Schoenoplectus pungens

Schoenoplectus acutus

chairmaker's clubrush, common three square

hardstem bulrush, viscous bulrush, common tule

Habit

Herbaceous perennials from rhizomes, the culms triangular, 1.5-10 dm. tall, somewhat scattered.

Stout, herbaceous perennials from rhizomes, the culms 1-3 m. tall, firm, terete, often over 1 cm. thick toward the base.

Leaves

Leaves several, all near the base, firm, usually elongate and channeled or folded and 1-2 mm. wide, or flat and 2-4 mm. wide.

Leaves few, toward the base of the culm, with well-developed sheath and short blade.

Flowers

: Inflorescence a compact cluster of 1-6 sessile spikelets, 7-20 mm. long, subtended by a green bract 2-15 cm. long, like a continuation of the stem;

flowers subtended by thin, translucent scales, yellowish- or reddish-brown to blackish-purple, the mid-rib exerted as a short awn;

perianth bristles 4-6, unequal;

stamens usually 3;

style bifid or trifid.

Inflorescence umbel-like, with spikelets in small, sessile clusters on the stiff, ascending branches of the inflorescence;

spikelets dull gray-brown, 8-15 mm. long; principle involucral bract solitary, 2-10 cm. long, erect, an extension of the culm, green; lesser bracts small, chaffy and brownish;

scales subtending the flowers scarious, 3.5-4 mm. long, with linear, reddish-brown marks on a pale gray background, the margins somewhat lacerate;

perianth of 2-6 fragile, barbellate bristles;

stamens usually 3;

style bifid or trifid.

Fruits

Achenes 2.2-3.3 mm. long, including the stylar beak, and 1.6-2.3 mm. wide.

Achenes 2.2-2.5 mm. long, plano-convex or unequally triangular.