LESSER BULRUSH

LESSER REEDMACE

Typha angustifolia

Bulrush Family [Typhaceae]

month8jun month8junemonth8jul month8julymonth8aug
Flowers:

Pappus: pappusZpossible (white, simple)
pappus8jul pappus8july pappus8aug pappus8sep pappus8sept pappus8oct pappus8nov

status
statusZnative
flower
flower8brown
inner
inner8cream
petals
petalsZ0
type
typeZspiked
type
typeZclustered
stem
stem8round
sex
sexZmonoecious

5th July 2014, Leeds & Liverpool Canal, Rimrose Valley Country Pk, Sefton. Photo: © RWD
Grows to same height (1.5 - 3m) as does Bulrush (aka Great Reedmace).


5th July 2014, Leeds & Liverpool Canal, Rimrose Valley Country Pk, Sefton. Photo: © RWD
Is able to grow in slightly deeper water (at least 50cm) than can Bulrush


5th July 2014, Leeds & Liverpool Canal, Rimrose Valley Country Pk, Sefton. Photo: © RWD
The female spike (lower) is separated from the male spike atop by a gap (between 30-80mm, extremes 5-120mm) (no gap with Bulrush). Unlike Bulrush which has a dark-chocolate female spike, the female spike of Lesser Bulrush is a lighter milk-chocolate brown colour; it is also slightly thinner (at between 13 - 25mm across, as opposed to 18-30mm across for Bulrush). The male spike atop is thinner and usually slightly paler than the female spike below.


5th July 2014, Leeds & Liverpool Canal, Rimrose Valley Country Pk, Sefton. Photo: © RWD
 The male spike has fallen off on this specimen (as they do).


5th July 2014, Leeds & Liverpool Canal, Rimrose Valley Country Pk, Sefton. Photo: © RWD
Female florets with styles.


5th July 2014, Leeds & Liverpool Canal, Rimrose Valley Country Pk, Sefton. Photo: © RWD
There is a gap between the lower female spike and the upper male spike of between 30-80mm (with extremes of 5 - 120mm). Here it is on the lower side of 10mm. Between 1 to 5 stamens on upper (male) spike usually fused until near the anthers (same as for Bulrush)


5th July 2014, Leeds & Liverpool Canal, Rimrose Valley Country Pk, Sefton. Photo: © RWD
Female flower spike bursting from parting leaf sheaths.


5th July 2014, Leeds & Liverpool Canal, Rimrose Valley Country Pk, Sefton. Photo: © RWD
The leaves at 3-8mm wide, are narrower than those of Bulrush (8-24mm).


5th July 2014, Leeds & Liverpool Canal, Rimrose Valley Country Pk, Sefton. Photo: © RWD


Not to be semantically confused with : Bullwort (Ammi majus) [an umbellifer plant with similar name]

Easily mistaken for : Bulrush (Typha latifolia) to which it is related (see text for differences but the main differentiation is by the narrower leaves and the non-zero gap (>5mm) between upper male and lower female spikes).

Hybridizes with : Bulrush (aka Great Reedmace) (Typha latifolia) to produce Typha × glauca (Typha angustifolia x latifolia)

A native aquatic plant able to populate shallow freshwater ponds, lakes, canals, ditches and slow running streams it is able to spread by rhizomes and by the seeds borne on the wind by a simple pappus. It tolerates water at the greater depth of at least 50cm than does Bulrush (less than 50cm). It also tolerates water with less nutrients than does Bulrush and is more frequently found near the coast. However, between the two, Bulrush occupies greater overall territory than does Lesser Bulrush.

In the USA Bulrushes are called 'Cat-tails'.

Bulrushes are normally Monoecious with both male and female flowers on the same plant, but separated from each other; the male spike above the female spike of flowers.


  Typha angustifolia  ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ Typhaceae  

Distribution
 family8Bulrush family8Typhaceae
 BSBI maps
genus8Typha
Typha
(Bulrushes)

LESSER BULRUSH

LESSER REEDMACE

Typha angustifolia

Bulrush Family [Typhaceae]