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trichophore cespiteux, tuft bulrush, tuft clubrush, tuft clubsedge

Habit Plants densely cespitose; rhizomes absent.
Culms

grooved, terete, 5–45 cm, smooth.

Leaves

basal sheaths brown;

distal leaf sheaths concave at mouth;

blades 1.5–8 × 0.3–0.4 mm, much shorter than culms at flowering and fruiting.

Inflorescences

spikelets 3–9-flowered, 3.3–7 × 1.2–3 mm;

bracts equaling spikelets, 3.3–4.5 mm, apex with awn less than 1 mm.

Spikelets

scales reddish brown to dark brown, apex mucronate to acute.

Flowers

perianth bristles 6, brown, terete, equaling or exceeding achenes, smooth to scabrous;

anthers 1.5–2.6 mm.

Achenes

compressed trigonous, 1.4–1.7 × 0.6–0.9 mm.

2n

= 104.

Trichophorum cespitosum

Phenology Fruiting summer (May–Aug).
Habitat Open, wet, rocky or peaty meadows, fens, bogs, shores
Elevation 0–2100 m (0–6900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; ID; ME; MT; NC; NH; NY; OR; SC; TN; UT; VT; WA; AB; BC; MB; NB; NL; NS; NT; NU; ON; PE; QC; SK; YT; montane c Asia; Greenland; Europe; boreal w Asia
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Discussion

Segregates defined on the basis of characters such as the number of flowers per spike and distal leaf sheath morphology have been recognized at varietal or subspecific ranks in North America and Europe. In North America, at least, these characters are variable within populations and appear to have no geographic integrity. North American plants of Trichophorum cespitosum appear to be identical to subsp. cespitosum (cf. R. A. DeFilipps 1980). No cytological differences have been detected between European and North American populations; all counted plants have 2n = 104 or n = 52.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 23, p. 29.
Parent taxa Cyperaceae > Trichophorum
Sibling taxa
T. alpinum, T. clementis, T. clintonii, T. planifolium, T. pumilum
Synonyms Scirpus cespitosus, Baeothryon cespitosum, Scirpus bracteatus, Scirpus cespitosus var. callosus, Scirpus cespitosus var. delicatulus
Name authority (Linnaeus) Schur: Verh. Mitth. Siebenbürg. Vereins Naturwiss. Hermannstadt 4: 78. (1853)
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