Schoenoplectus lacustris lacustris

Description

Schoenoplectus lacustris, the lakeshore bulrush or common club-rush, is a species of club-rush (genus Schoenoplectus) that grows in fresh water across Europe and some neighbouring areas.Schoenoplectus lacustris grows up to 3.5 metres (11 ft) tall, with stems 5–15 millimetres (0.20–0.59 in) thick. Most of the leaves of S. lacustris are reduced to bladeless sheaths around the stem, but leaf blades up to 100 centimetres (39 in) long can be formed under water. The inflorescence appears at the top of the stem, and comprises 3–10 branches, each of which is up to 10 cm (3.9 in) long and may be again divided into shorter branches. The flowers are in the form of spikelets, each of which is 6–15 millimetres (0.24–0.59 in) long by 3–5 mm (0.12–0.20 in) wide.The stems of S. lacustris are round in cross-section, in contrast to the triquetrous (rounded-triangular) stems of other species in the genus, such as S. triqueter and S. pungens. The stems of S. tabernaemontani are also round, but S. tabernaemontani is a smaller plant, less than 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) tall, with only two stigmas per flower