Scirpus pungens  Vahl   =Scirpus americanus auct.   Cyperaceae (Sedge Family)   Native   Three Square

                                      June Photo

Plant Characteristics:  Perennial; rootstocks elongate; culms sharply triangular, erect or arched, to ca. 1 m. tall; lf. blades to ca. 2 dm. long, keeled, convolute, 2-3 mm. wide; involucral lf. solitary, 3-10 cm. long; infl. a capitate cluster of 1-7 spikelets; spikelets oblong, acuminate, 8-12 mm. long; scales pale to chocolate brown, cleft at apex, short-awned; bristles 2-6, unequal, half as long as to longer than ak.; style 2-3 cleft; ak. lenticular or obtusely triangular, mucronate, 3 mm. long.

Habitat:  Occasional in wet places, usually at low elevs., s. Calif. to B.C., Atlantic Coast, S. Am.  May-Aug.

Name:  Latin, scirpus, the classical name.  (Munz, Flora So. Calif. 902).  Pungens, piercing, sharp-pointed.  (Bailey 20).  The species name probably refers to the involucral leaf.  (my comment).

General:  Uncommon in the study area having been found in only one large colony located in Big Canyon.  (my comment).        The Yokut Indians of the central foothills or the Great Central Valley in California used tule mats for covering A frame houses, for floor and sleeping mats.  (Campbell 170,171).       See Scirpus americanus for a discussion of the name changes, S. olneyi to S. americanus and S. americanus to S. pungens.  (my comments).         A cosmopolitan genus to about 200 species  (Munz, Flora So. Calif. 902).

Text Ref:  Abrams, Vol. I 272;  Hickman, Ed. 1148; Munz, Flora So. Calif. 902; Roberts 43.

Photo Ref:  June 90 # 0,5A, 22A.

Identity: by R. De Ruff, confirmed by John Johnson.

Computer Ref:  Plant Data 396.

Have plant specimen.

Last edit 9/21/02.

                                             July Photo