Illinois Natural History Survey - University of Illinois

Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani
Tule, Great bulrush, Soft-stem bulrush
Taxonomy

Synonyms: Scirpus tabernaemontanii, Scirpus validus var. creber

Subspecific taxa:

Classification:

Other taxonomic & nomenclature sources: USDA Plants;  ITIS;  The Plant List;  IPNI

Images

   
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Species Distribution
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More about map & occurrence records

County Map Legend
Absent:
Not known from county
Medium confidence:
Medium or unknown confidence;
often old records or unverifiable observations
Medium-high confidence:
Often observations by expert botanists
High confidence:
Often vouchered herbarium records
Planted / introduced:
Native species introduced outside historic range,
or only in planted locations within county (e.g., restorations)
Historic / extirpated:
Only historic records for the species; likely extirpated
(Note that this category is not yet functional)

North American distribution maps for this species: FLNA;  USDA Plants;  BONAP;  BISON

Collections, Observations & Flowering by Month [?]

J
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F
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M
0
A
0
M
0
J
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J
0
A
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S
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O
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N
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D
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Collections & Observations by Decade [?]

Species Status

Status/Listing: No Information

Notes:

Origin: Native

Species Description

General: Monocot, perennial

Roots: adventitious, rhizomes

Shoots: alternate leaf arrangment; simple leaf type; entire leaf margin; Parallel leaf venation; awl-shaped leaf shape

Inflorescence: panicle

Flowers: perfect; 3 merous; complete, regular; hypogynous ovary position

Fruit: achene

Physiology: autotrophic; C3 C02 fixation

Reproduction: sexual, vegetative

Ecology & Natural History

Habitat: Found in shallow water, sloughs, rivers, oxbow lakes, and muddy shores.

ILPIN Notes: Most robust bulrush in Illinois, to three meters tall. May be confused with Scirpus acutus or Scirpus heterochaetus. Dried, beaten rootstocks furnish a meal for bread; yound tip of underground roots "a thirst-quencher". Boiled, these young roots yield a sweet syrup. Achenes edible. Tender part on stem base eaten fresh, raw by native northwest peoples. Pollen for cakes.

Functional Relationships:

  • Pollinators:
  • Dispersal:
  • Mycorrhizae: no
  • N2 fixation:

Human Relationships:

  • Edibility [?] :
  • Showy Flowers:

Wildlife and Livestock Information:

  • Food Value:
  • Cover Value:

Coefficient of Conservatism (C-value) [?] :

  • Entire State: 4
  • Chicago Area: 5

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