FIELD ID CHARACTERISTICS:
This species is a dull green (not bright green), with stems that are triangular in cross-section. End of inflorescence bract (which appears as stem tip) is long, from 3 to 20 cm long. The tallest plants are those in brackish settings; shortest inland in rivers. Often forms large colonies.
Synonym(s): Scirpus americanus
Description: Reed-like plant, triangular in cross-section, with no leaves on stems.
Leaves: Stems are leafless.
Flowers/Fruit: Bracts looking like end of stem extend upward from inflorescence and are 3 to 20 cm long. Seeds are dark brown. Flowers and fruits June through September.
Habit and Range: Tolerant of fresh water and brackish water so this species is found in a variety of sunny settings, including brackish marshes above the Juncus roemerianus (black needlerush) zone, freshwater tidal marshes, wet meadows, lake edges, river shores, and moist fields. Found in the Outer Coastal Plain and some Piedmont counties.
Taxonomic Note: The genus Schoenoplectus has been split out from Scirpus, which is a taxon with well-developed basal and stem leaves, unlike Schoenoplectus, which mostly appear to have no leaves and have plants with sessile spikelets or spikelets with a few branches.
COMMON CONFUSIONS:
Schoenoplectus pungens (common threesquare) is similar to Bolboschoenus robustus (saltmarsh bulrush) which has inflorescences with ovoid to cylindrical brown spikes and bracts that extend out perpendicular to the stem. S. pungens is also often found growing with the less common Schoenoplectus americanus (Olney's Threesquare) in brackish situations. S. americanus is brighter green with stems that are sharply triangular and have concave sides; inflorescences also have much shorter bracts extending upward (1 to 6 cm long).
Link to side-by-side comparisons page
