Common club rush

Description

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.