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Trichophorum cespitosum

(L.) Hartman

Tufted Clubrush

G5Secure Found in 52 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.133090
Element CodePMCYP0Q060
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassMonocotyledoneae
OrderCyperales
FamilyCyperaceae
GenusTrichophorum
Synonyms
Scirpus cespitosusL.Trichophorum caespitosum(L.) HartmanTrichophorum cespitosum ssp. cespitosum
Other Common Names
Deerhair Bulrush (EN) Trichophore cespiteux (FR) tufted bulrush (EN) Tufted Bulrush (EN)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Taxonomic Comments
Crins in FNA (2002, vol. 23) explains that characters used to distinguish varieties of Trichophorum cespitosum in North America are variable within populations and appear to have no geographic integrity and that "North American plants of Trichophorum cespitosum appear to be identical to subsp. cespitosum (cf. R. A. DeFilipps 1980)." According to DeFillips (1980), the subspecies Scirpus cespitosus ssp. germanicus (=Trichophorum cespitosum ssp. germanicum) occurs in western Europe. If subspecies are recognized, the North American taxon is Trichophorum cespitosum ssp. cespitosum.
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2016-06-29
Change Date1984-03-16
Edition Date1994-06-14
Edition AuthorsOakley
Range Extent Comments
Circumboreal, south in w. N. America to OR, UT, and MT. Sparse.
Threat Impact Comments
Air pollution is a potential threat to high elevation habitats (Southern Appalachian Species Viability Project 2002).
Ecology & Habitat

Description

Tufted Club-rush is a perennial, grass-like plant with tufted, stems that are 1-4 dm tall and arising from short rhizomes. The leaves are clustered near the base and are reduced to scales or short blades. Several flowers are spirally arranged in a single, short, spike-like, terminal cluster, or spikelet, that is 4-6 mm long and subtended by a long-tipped scale. Each flower consists of a single scale subtending 3 stamens and an ovary with 6 white bristles that are as long as the scales and arising from the base. The 3-sided achene is ca. 1.5 mm long.

Diagnostic Characteristics

SCIRPUS CESPITOSUS could easily be mistaken for a species of ELEOCHARIS; however, the former has spikelets subtended by a short-awned scale, while the latter do not. ELEOCHARIS CESPITOSUS forms large, distinctive tussocks.
Other Nations (2)
United StatesNNR
ProvinceRankNative
TennesseeS1Yes
IllinoisS1Yes
New HampshireSNRYes
WisconsinS2Yes
VermontS1Yes
North CarolinaS2Yes
AlaskaSNRYes
MinnesotaSNRYes
New YorkS2Yes
IdahoSNRYes
GeorgiaS1Yes
OregonS3Yes
MaineSNRYes
MontanaS2Yes
WashingtonSNRYes
MichiganSNRYes
UtahS2Yes
South CarolinaS1Yes
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
ManitobaS4Yes
OntarioS5Yes
AlbertaS4Yes
Island of NewfoundlandS5Yes
Nova ScotiaS5Yes
New BrunswickS4Yes
Prince Edward IslandS3Yes
Yukon TerritoryS4Yes
NunavutS4Yes
Northwest TerritoriesS4Yes
QuebecS5Yes
British ColumbiaS5Yes
LabradorS5Yes
SaskatchewanS4Yes
Plant Characteristics
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (52)
Alaska (40)
AreaForestAcres
Bering LakeChugach National Forest965,076
Boston BarChugach National Forest53,617
ChichagofTongass National Forest555,858
Chilkat-West Lynn CanalTongass National Forest199,772
Chugach-12Chugach National Forest8,116
Chugach-13Chugach National Forest13,337
ClevelandTongass National Forest189,447
College FiordChugach National Forest1,130,818
Copper River WetlandsChugach National Forest85,972
Douglas IslandTongass National Forest28,065
Fidalgo-GravinaChugach National Forest257,968
Freshwater BayTongass National Forest44,933
Game CreekTongass National Forest54,469
Hoonah SoundTongass National Forest79,764
Johnson PassChugach National Forest152,508
Juneau UrbanTongass National Forest101,581
Juneau-Skagway IcefieldTongass National Forest1,187,268
KekuTongass National Forest10,869
Kenai MountainsChugach National Forest306,600
LindenbergTongass National Forest25,855
MadanTongass National Forest68,553
Middle KruzofTongass National Forest14,724
MontagueChugach National Forest204,875
MosmanTongass National Forest53,492
Nellie JuanChugach National Forest713,697
North BaranofTongass National Forest314,089
North KruzofTongass National Forest33,146
North RevillaTongass National Forest215,430
North WrangellTongass National Forest8,091
Port AlexanderTongass National Forest120,681
Prince William Sound Is.Chugach National Forest118,698
RedoubtTongass National Forest68,347
RevillaTongass National Forest29,298
RhineTongass National Forest23,010
Roaded DonutChugach National Forest968
Sheridan GlacierChugach National Forest224,683
Sitka UrbanTongass National Forest112,003
South KruzofTongass National Forest55,193
Taku-SnettishamTongass National Forest664,928
Twenty MileChugach National Forest198,775
Georgia (1)
AreaForestAcres
Sarah's CreekChattahoochee National Forest6,888
Maine (1)
AreaForestAcres
Caribou - Speckled ExtWhite Mountain National Forest5,988
New Hampshire (5)
AreaForestAcres
Dartmouth RangeWhite Mountain National Forest9,233
Great Gulf Ext.White Mountain National Forest15,110
PemigewassetWhite Mountain National Forest32,255
Presidential - Dry River ExtWhite Mountain National Forest10,555
Wild RiverWhite Mountain National Forest46,878
North Carolina (3)
AreaForestAcres
Harper CreekPisgah National Forest7,325
Lost CovePisgah National Forest5,944
Wilson CreekPisgah National Forest4,863
Oregon (2)
AreaForestAcres
French Pete (a)Willamette National Forest1,668
Twin LakesMt. Hood National Forest6,055
References (10)
  1. Crins, W.J. 2002. <i>Trichophorum </i>Persoon. Pages 28-31 in Flora of North America Editorial Committee (Editors), <i>Flora of North America, North of Mexico, Volume 23, Magnoliophyta: Commelinidae (in part): Cyperaceae.</i> Oxford University Press, New York, NY, USA. 608pp + xxiv.
  2. DeFilipps, R. A. 1980. <i>Scirpus</i> L., in Tutin, T.G. et al., eds. Flora Europaea Volume 5:277-280. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
  3. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2002b. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 23. Magnoliophyta: Commelinidae (in part): Cyperaceae. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxiv + 608 pp.
  4. Hollingsworth, P.M. and G.A. Swan. 1999. Genetic differentiation and hybridisation among subspecies of deergrass (Trichophorum cespitosum (L.) Hartman) in Northumberland. Watsonia 22: 235-242.
  5. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  6. Kartesz, J.T. 1999. A synonymized checklist and atlas with biological attributes for the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. First edition. In: Kartesz, J.T., and C.A. Meacham. Synthesis of the North American Flora, Version 1.0. North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, N.C.
  7. Lesica, P. 1991d. The rare vascular plants of Pine Butte Preserve. Unpublished report to The Nature Conservancy, Montana Field Office, Helena. 15 pp.
  8. Lesica, P. 1992g. Monitoring the <i>Scirpus cespitosis - Scirpus acutus</i> ecotone at Pine Butte Swamp Preserve. The Nature Conservancy, Montana Field Office, Helena, Montana. 9 pp.
  9. Southern Appalachian Species Viability Project. 2002. A partnership between the U.S. Forest Service-Region 8, Natural Heritage Programs in the Southeast, NatureServe, and independent scientists to develop and review data on 1300+ regionally and locally rare species in the Southern Appalachian and Alabama region. Database (Access 97) provided to the U.S. Forest Service by NatureServe, Durham, North Carolina.
  10. Swan, G.A. 1999. Identification, distribution, and a new nothosubspecies of Trichophorum cespitosum (L.) Hartman (Cyperaceae) in the British Isles and N.W. Europe. Watsonia 22: 209-233.