About Schoenoplectus lacustris (L.) Palla
Schoenoplectus lacustris (L.) Palla can grow up to 3.5 metres (11 ft) tall. It produces mid to dark green, non-glaucous stems that are 5–15 mm (0.2–0.6 in) thick. Most of its leaves are reduced to bladeless sheaths that wrap around the stem, though submerged plants can grow leaf blades up to 100 cm (40 in) long. Its inflorescence grows at the top of the stem, and is made up of 3–10 branches, each reaching up to 10 cm (4 in) long and capable of dividing further into shorter branches. Flowers form as spikelets, each measuring 6–15 mm (0.2–0.6 in) long by 3–5 mm (0.1–0.2 in) wide. This species typically grows in water between 0.3 and 1.5 meters deep, but it can also grow in deeper water. Its stems are round in cross-section. This differs from other Schoenoplectus species such as S. triqueter and S. pungens, which have triquetrous (rounded-triangular) stems. While S. tabernaemontani (grey club-rush) also has round stems, S. tabernaemontani is a smaller plant that grows less than 1.5 m (5 ft) tall, has only two stigmas per flower, and has glaucous grey-green stems. Schoenoplectus lacustris is widespread across Europe, though it is rare in the far north of the continent. Its range extends eastward through Asia as far as Mongolia. It also occurs at multiple Mediterranean sites in North Africa, and has been introduced to Bangladesh and Haiti.
