Burke: Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani vs. Schoenoplectus acutus

	Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani	Schoenoplectus acutus
	great bulrush, soft-stem bulrush	hardstem bulrush, viscous bulrush, common tule
Habit	Stout, herbaceous perennials from rhizomes, the culms 1-2.5 m. tall, soft, terete.	Stout, herbaceous perennials from rhizomes, the culms 1-3 m. tall, firm, terete, often over 1 cm. thick toward the base.
Leaves	Leaves few, toward the base of the culm, with well-developed sheath and short blade.	Leaves few, toward the base of the culm, with well-developed sheath and short blade.
Flowers	Inflorescence umbel-like, open, with spikelets in small, sessile clusters or singly on the lax branches of the inflorescence; spikelets shiny, reddish-brown, 7-10 mm. long; principle involucral bract solitary, 2-8 cm. long, erect, like an extension of the culm, green; lesser bracts small, chaffy and brownish; scales subtending the flowers scarious, 2.5-3 mm. long, with linear, reddish-brown marks on a brown background, not wholly concealing the achenes; perianth of 2-6 fragile, barbellate bristles; 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 2.0-2.3 mm. long, plano-convex or unequally triangular.	Achenes 2.2-2.5 mm. long, plano-convex or unequally triangular.

	Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani	Schoenoplectus acutus
Flowering time	June-August	May-July
Habitat	Marshes and muddy shores of lakes and streams at lower elevations; tolerant 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; also in Central and South America. [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. pungens, S. saximontanus, S. subterminalis, 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, CA, OR, WA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, 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 tabernaemontani

Schoenoplectus acutus

great bulrush, soft-stem bulrush

hardstem bulrush, viscous bulrush, common tule

Habit

Stout, herbaceous perennials from rhizomes, the culms 1-2.5 m. tall, soft, terete.

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

Leaves

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

Flowers

Inflorescence umbel-like, open, with spikelets in small, sessile clusters or singly on the lax branches of the inflorescence;

spikelets shiny, reddish-brown, 7-10 mm. long; principle involucral bract solitary, 2-8 cm. long, erect, like an extension of the culm, green; lesser bracts small, chaffy and brownish;

scales subtending the flowers scarious, 2.5-3 mm. long, with linear, reddish-brown marks on a brown background, not wholly concealing the achenes;

perianth of 2-6 fragile, barbellate bristles;

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 2.0-2.3 mm. long, plano-convex or unequally triangular.

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