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| Scirpus pallidus (Britt.) Fern. | Species Image Gallery (opens in a new window) |
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| TAXONOMY | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Family: | Cyperaceae | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Genus: | Scirpus | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Species Synonyms: | Scirpus atrovirens var. pallidus Britt. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Common Names: | pale bulrush cloaked bulrush pale-green bulrush |
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| DISTRIBUTION | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Canada: | southeastern British Columbia – central and southeastern Alberta, southeastern Saskatchewan – southern Manitoba – northern Ontario | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Saskatchewan: | southeastern Saskatchewan; Souris River Valley – Antler River Valley | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Ecoregion: | Moist Mixed Grassland, Aspen Parkland | ||||||||||||||||||||
| HABITAT | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Saskatchewan: | marshy shores, moist ravine bottoms, low meadows, streamsides, and ditches | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Associated Species: | Bebb’s sedge, fowl mannagrass, giant goldenrod, great bulrush, heavy sedge, marsh muhly, smallfruit bulrush, wildrye | ||||||||||||||||||||
| RARITY STATUS | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Provincial
Status According to Harms (2003): |
Threatened |
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| Nature Conservancy Status: | G5 S2 |
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| Saskatchewan
Species at Risk Status: |
None |
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| COSEWIC Status: | None |
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| Pale bulrush is threatened because it is rare or uncommon in Saskatchewan and is restricted to the southeastern part of the province. This species is usually locally numerous within limited areas. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| SPECIES DESCRIPTION | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height: | to 1.5 m | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Roots: | rhizomes short, tough | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Stems: | solitary to few, erect or nearly so, three-angled, leafy on lower half, pale green | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Leaves: | 5 – 10 per stem; sheaths greenish or whitish; blades 20 – 55 cm long, 0.8 – 2 cm wide | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Inflorescence: | umbrella-like cluster terminal; inflorescence bracts 3 – 4, leaf-like, short, green; rays 4 – 8, ascending or divergent, lacking axillary bulblets; clusters terminating rays dense, spikelets 12 – 130 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Spikelets: | sessile, 4 – 5 mm long, < 2.5 mm wide, narrowly ovoid; scales 1.8 – 2.8 mm long, elliptic to oval, black or brownish, midrib pale, awn 0.4 – 0.6 mm long | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Flowers: | perianth bristles 6, stout, straight or curved, may be tangled and appearing woolly in fruit, longest bristles equalling achene, downwardly barbed, enclosed within scales; styles 3-branched | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Achenes: | elliptic to egg-shaped, three-angled or convex on both sides, pale brown or whitish | ||||||||||||||||||||
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