About Bulbostylis capillaris (L.) Kunth ex C.B.Clarke
Bulbostylis capillaris (L.) Kunth ex C.B.Clarke is a species of sedge with two common names: densetuft hairsedge and threadleaf beakseed. It is native to a large area covering much of North America, South America, and the West Indies, ranging from Canada in the north to Bolivia in the south. This plant can grow in many different habitat types, and it is most commonly found in moist areas like streamside meadows. It is an annual herb with variable appearance, but typically forms a small, upright tuft of low-growing green herbage, reaching between 10 and 24 centimeters in total height. It produces several stems that are surrounded by thin, thready leaves. Its inflorescence forms at the tip of each stem, and is made up of tiny green spikelets that have a rusty red tint. The fruit produced by this species is approximately one millimeter long. Alongside Piptochaetium montevidense and Juncus capillacaeus, Bulbostylis capillaris is used as a medicinal plant in Rio Grande do Sul. It is prepared as a tisane that is claimed to treat urinary tract infections (UTIs). A 2011 study by Vogel et al. investigated this plant's claimed antimicrobial activity against E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, the two most common bacterial causes of UTIs, and found no evidence supporting its effectiveness for treating bacterial infections.
