Aquatic and Wetland Vascular Plants of the Northern Great Plains
62. Cyperaceae, the Sedge Family
11. Scirpus L. -- Bulrush7. Scirpus nevadensis S. Wats. -- Nevada bulrush
Perennial 1-5 dm tall from deep-seated rhizomes; culms erect, terete or nearly so, sheathed by the leaves toward the base. Leaves few to several per culm, the blades channeled above with inrolled margins, 0.5-2 mm wide, strongly ascending, seldom overtopping the culm; principal involucral bract erect, resembling a continuation of the culm, sometimes turning brown, 0.7-5(10) cm long; additional involucres 1-few, appearing like enlarged scales subtending the inflorescence, sometimes green. Inflorescence appearing lateral, the spikelets directed toward one side of the culm; spikelets 1-5(6), sessile, 5-20(25) mm long, 3-6 mm thick; scales brown with a pale midvein, glossy, 4-5 mm long, acute to obtuse; perianth of 1-4 bristles of variable length, shorter than the achene; stamens 3, the filaments straplike, often adherent to the achene; styles bifid. Achenes tan to brown, cellular-reticulate, lenticular, plano-convex, 2-2.5 mm long, often nearly as wide, the beak absent or minute. Jun--Sep. Alkaline or saline wet meadows, seepage areas and shores; occasional in c and nw ND; nw NE; (Sask. and ND to c WA, s to nw NE, WY, c UT and e CA).
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