BLACK BOG-RUSH

Schoenus nigricans

Sedge Club- & Spike-Rush Family [Cyperaceae]

sex

12th June 2013, Anglesea.

Photo: © Dawn Nelson

Grows in bogs and damp peaty places.

12th June 2013, Anglesea.

Photo: © Dawn Nelson

It grows from 15 to 75cm tall with its leaves being at least as long as the stem. [The linear sheaths at the base of the plant (unfortunately non discernible in these photos), are shiny, rather wide and blackish].

12th June 2013, Anglesea.

Photo: © Dawn Nelson

The inflorescence is blackish-brown, 1.0 to 1.5mm long, densely grouped and ovoidal.

12th June 2013, Anglesea.

Photo: © Dawn Nelson

12th June 2013, Anglesea.

Photo: © Dawn Nelson

This specimen must have the longest leaf-like bract amongst them, going off the photo at the top! Most are a lot shorter than this one. The base of leaf-like bracts on bog-rush species (there are only 2) encircles the whole head.

12th June 2013, Anglesea.

Photo: © Dawn Nelson

A specimen with slightly deeper grooves on the stem; most have very faint shallow grooves.

12th June 2013, Anglesea.

The lowest bract of a head has a leaf-like point and is between twice and five times longer than the head.

12th June 2013, Anglesea.

The spilelets (on the left side of the long spike) are between 5 and 8mm long and flattened with 5 or more in a head. The v-shaped keel of the glumes feel rough.

12th June 2013, Anglesea.

The fruit is a nut which is an unusual shiny, porcelain-white colour and 1.5mm long.

The plant grows widely (but is only locally common,growing only in calcareous fens usually near a spring, bogs which are flushed with water, on wet rocks or in salt-marshes near the sea which are flushed. The habitats include serpentine heathland, damp peaty places, bogs, saltmarshes, fens and flushes.

There is but one other Bog-rush, Brown Bog-rush (Schoenus ferruginus) which is brown and a very rare [RRR].

Schoenus

nigricans

⇐ Global Aspect ⇒

Cyperaceae

Distribution
family8Sedge Club- & Spike-Rush family8Cyperaceae
BSBI maps

Schoenus
(Bog-Rushes)