Scirpus hattorianus
Scirpus longii
early dark-green bulrush, mosquito bulrush, scirpe de hattori
long's bulrush, long's woolsedge
fertile ones upright or nearly so;
nodes without axillary bulblets.
fertile ones upright or nearly so;
nodes without axillary bulblets.
3–9 per culm;
sheaths of proximal leaves light brown;
proximal sheaths and blades with septa few to many, rather inconspicuous;
blades 20–35 cm × 5–9 mm.
4–7 per culm;
sheaths of proximal leaves green or brownish;
proximal blades and sheaths with septa few to many, conspicuous or inconspicuous;
blades 30–54 cm × 5–9 mm.
terminal;
rays ascending or divaricate (usually both in the same inflorescence), rays often bearing axillary bulblets, proximal branches smooth, distal branches scabrellous to scabrous;
bases of involucral bracts green, margins usually speckled with red-brown, rarely solid black, not glutinous.
terminal;
rays ascending or sometimes spreading, scabrous throughout or main branches smooth proximally, rays rarely with axillary bulblets;
bases of involucral bracts black, glutinous.
in dense clusters of 4–55 (largest cluster with 15 or more), spikelets sessile, ovoid or broadly ovoid, 2–3.5 × 1.3–2.5 mm;
scales blackish or occasionally brownish with pale midribs, elliptic or broadly elliptic, 1–1.4(–2) mm, apex mucronate, mucro 0.1–0.2 mm.
in open cymes, central spikelet of each cyme sessile, others usually pedicellate, spikelets ovoid or ellipsoid to cylindric, 3.5–10.5 × 2–3(–5) mm;
scales blackish, at least distally, with pale midribs, elliptic or narrowly elliptic to obovate or narrowly obovate, 2–3.1 mm, apex rounded to obtuse or minutely apiculate, apiculus (if present) less than 0.05 mm.
perianth bristles persistent, (4–)5–6, slender, straight or curved, shorter than to equaling achene, with retrorse, thin-walled, round-tipped barbs in distal (0.1–)0.2–0.4, enclosed within scales;
styles 3-fid.
perianth bristles persistent, 6, slender, contorted, much longer than achene, smooth, projecting beyond scales, mature inflorescence appearing woolly;
styles 3-fid.
pale brown, elliptic or obovate in outline, plumply trigonous, (0.6–)0.7–1.1 × 0.3–0.5 mm.
reddish brown, elliptic or obovate in outline, plano-convex or plumply trigonous, 0.7–1 × 0.4–0.5 mm.
= 56.
= 66, 68.
Scirpus hattorianus
Scirpus longii
Scirpus hattorianus has been confused in the past with both S. atrovirens and S. georgianus. Scirpus hattorianus tends to be a more slender plant, and the scales of its spikelets are usually black, not brown. The perianth bristles are superficially intermediate between the other two. They are typically shorter and more delicate than those of S. atrovirens. In S. hattorianus the longest bristles are usually only 0.6–0.8 times as long as the achene, and barbed in the distal (0.1–)0.2–0.4; in S. atrovirens the longest bristles are usually 0.9–1.2 times as long as the achene and barbed in the distal 0.3–0.6. Some individuals fall outside these ranges and identification must be based on comparison of all the characters mentioned in the key. Separation from S. georgianus is discussed under S. georgianus.
Scirpus hattorianus occasionally hybridizes with S. ancistrochaetus, S. atrocinctus, S. atrovirens, S. georgianus, and S. pedicellatus. The name Scirpus peckii Britton has been applied to hybrids between S. hattorianus and S. atrocinctus or S. pedicellatus.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Although large populations of Scirpus longii exist, collections are rarely made because flowering culms usually are not present and only vegetative portions of the plant can be collected. Fire and other disturbances enhance culm formation. The report from North Carolina (M. L. Fernald 1943d) was based on a misidentified specimen. Historic populations known from Connecticut (South Windsor, Hartford County) and New York (The Aqueduct, Long Island) are believed to have been extirpated.
Scirpus longii rarely hybridizes with S. cyperinus.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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