North Carolina Botanical Garden

Plant Index

Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Genus:
Family:

Scirpus atrovirens

Scirpus atrovirens Willd.

black bulrush

Image ID: 17179
Image by: Sorrie, Bruce A.
Image Collection: NCBG Digital Library

PLANT INDEX

ID_PLANT: SCAT2
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Scirpus atrovirens
Include in WOTAS: 0
Publish to Web: 1
Last Modified: 2020-01-01

GENUS INDEX

GENUS CODE: SCIRP
GENUS SCIENTIFIC: Scirpus
GENUS AUTHORITY: L.
GENUS COMMON: Bulrush
GENUS SUMMARY: A genus of about 20 species, herbs, of circumboreal distribution, also with species in Australia, Malaysia, and South America. The complex of species including S. atrovirens, S. georgianus, S. hattorianus, S. flaccidifolius are difficult to identify, and some have doubted their validity. Although further work on this group is needed, they do generally appear to behave as biological species despite their morphological similarity. Schuyler (1967) writes that the remaining species in the key differ in minute characteristics and often the most satisfactory means of identification is by carefully comparing specimens of them. Despite the close morphological similarity of these species, their characteristics are reasonably constant even in areas where they coexist and occasionally hybridize.
GENUS IDENTIFICATION:
GENUS REFERENCES: Whittemore & Schuyler in FNA (2002b); Schuyler (1967)=Z; Strong (1994)=Y;. Key adapted from C, FNA, GW, and Z. [for various taxa previously placed in Scirpus, also see Bolboschoenus, Cyperus, Isolepis, Schoenoplectiella, Schoenoplectus, and Trichophorum]

FAMILY INDEX

FAMILY CODE: CYPERA
FAMILY SCIENTIFIC: Cyperaceae
FAMILY AUTHORITY: A.L. de Jussieu 1789
FAMILY COMMON: Sedge Family
FAMILY SUMMARY: A family of about 100 genera and 5000 species, mostly herbs, cosmopolitan.
FAMILY REFERENCE: Ball, Reznicek, & Murray in FNA (2002b); Muasya et al. (2009); Tucker (1987); Goetghebeur in Kubitzki (1998b).

NCBG DESCRIPTIVES

INTRO:
STEMS:
LEAVES:
INFLORESCENCE:
FLOWERS:
FRUITS:
COMMENTS:
HEIGHT:

DURATION: Perennial
HABIT: Grass/Grasslike

LEAF ARRANGEMENT: Alternate
LEAF COMPLEXITY:
LEAF RETENTION:

FLORAL CHARACTERISTICS
SYMMETRY:
BLOOM TIME: Late Jun-Sep

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
				x	x	x	x	x

BLOOM COLOR:

White	Red	Pink	Orange	Yellow	Green	Blue	Lavender	Purple	Violet	Brown	Not Applicable
					x					x

FRUITING PERIOD:

DISTRIBUTION
HABITAT TYPE:
NATIVE RANGE:

HORTICULTURAL
Plant Sale Text:

Bloom Table Text:

NCBG Location:

Cultural Notes:

SOIL MOISTURE: Average, Moist/Wet
LIGHT EXPOSURE: Sun, Part Shade, Shade
MINIMUM HARDINESS ZONE:
MAXIMUM HARDINESS ZONE:
GERMINATION CODE:
WILDLIFE VALUE:
DEER RESISTANCE:

GRIM ACCESSIONS

acc_id	acc_num	acc_dt	coll_id	Action
6305	1995-1437			View

GRIM PLANTINGS

plt_num	acc_id	loc_num	pers_num	inst_dt	Action
8960	6305	2	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View

USDA PLANTS DATABASE

USDA Symbol: SCAT2
USDA Common Name: Green Bulrush
Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)
Distribution: USA (AL, AR, AZ, CT, DE, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV), CAN (MB, NF, ON, QC)
Duration: Perennial
Growth Habit: Graminoid

NATIONAL WETLAND INDICATOR STATUS

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:	OBL		OBL		OBL	OBL		OBL	OBL	OBL

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2016 National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.3 (Lichvar, R.W., D.L. Banks, W.N. Kirchner, and N.C. Melvin. 2016. The National Wetland Plant List: 2016 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2016-30: 1-17. Published 28 April 2016. ISSN 2153 733X). Regions: AGCP-Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain, AK-Alaska, AW-Arid West, CB-Caribbean, EMP-Eastern Mountains and Piedmont, GP-Great Plains, HI-Hawaii, MW-Midwest, NCNE-Northcentral and Northeast, WMCV-Western Mountains, Valleys & Coast

WEAKLEY FLORA

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Scirpus atrovirens
COMMON NAME: Black Bulrush
SYNONYMY: [= FNA, K, Pa, Tn, Va, Z; < S. atrovirens - GW, RAB, S, W; < S. atrovirens var. atrovirens - C, F, G, WV]
PHENOLOGY: Late Jun-Sep.
HABITAT: Marshes, bogs, wet meadows.
COMMENTS: NL (Newfoundland) west to MN, south to GA and TX; disjunct in AZ.
RANGE MAP: Scirpus atrovirens.png

Key to Map Symbols

ABOUT FAMILY (Weakley Flora)
Cyperaceae A.L. de Jussieu 1789 (Sedge Family)
SUMMARY: A family of about 100 genera and 5000 species, mostly herbs, cosmopolitan.
REFERENCE: Ball, Reznicek, & Murray in FNA (2002b); Muasya et al. (2009); Tucker (1987); Goetghebeur in Kubitzki (1998b).

ABOUT GENUS (Weakley Flora)
Scirpus L. (Bulrush)
SUMMARY: A genus of about 20 species, herbs, of circumboreal distribution, also with species in Australia, Malaysia, and South America. The complex of species including S. atrovirens, S. georgianus, S. hattorianus, S. flaccidifolius are difficult to identify, and some have doubted their validity. Although further work on this group is needed, they do generally appear to behave as biological species despite their morphological similarity. Schuyler (1967) writes that the remaining species in the key differ in minute characteristics and often the most satisfactory means of identification is by carefully comparing specimens of them. Despite the close morphological similarity of these species, their characteristics are reasonably constant even in areas where they coexist and occasionally hybridize.
REFERENCE: Whittemore & Schuyler in FNA (2002b); Schuyler (1967)=Z; Strong (1994)=Y;. Key adapted from C, FNA, GW, and Z. [for various taxa previously placed in Scirpus, also see Bolboschoenus, Cyperus, Isolepis, Schoenoplectiella, Schoenoplectus, and Trichophorum]

HERBARIUM RESOURCES

SERNEC: Find Scirpus atrovirens in Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)
UNC SERNEC: Find Scirpus atrovirens in University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Herbarium - Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)

WEB RESOURCES

USDA: Find Scirpus atrovirens in USDA Plants
NPIN: Find Scirpus atrovirens in NPIN Database
FNA: Find Scirpus atrovirens in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Scirpus atrovirens

IMAGE USE RECORDS

ID IMAGE: 17179 - Primary Image FloraQuest Plant Detail Page (Landscape Preferred)
ID IMAGE1: 17179 - Primary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE2: 0 - Secondary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE3: 0 - Primary Image Plant Sale Sign (Landscape Only)
ID IMAGE4: 0 - Primary Image New Plant Sale Label (Portrait Only)