- Author: Robert J Keiffer
The sedge family of plants has seen a lot of taxonomic change in recent times, especially within the old genus of Scirpus. Now, under the current accepted nomenclature, most species previously in Scirpus now belong to a half-dozen other genera ... and only five species remain within the genus Scirpus that are in California.
One of the previous in this group now falls under the genus Schoeneplectus and are referred to as the "naked-stemmed bulrushes". California Bulrush (Schoenoplectus californicus) is a very tall, robust perennial marsh plant that occurs in many lower elevation natural wetland sites in California and elsewhere. This bulrush is sometimes mistakenly called "Tule" (tule really is the common name of its close "cousin" S. acutus). Giant Bulrush , however, is another accepted common name for S. californicus.
Normally found at elevations of sea level to 656 feet elevation, the UC Hopland Research & Extension Center has a unique small population of these plants at a small vernal pool/pond called Coon Lake at about 1500 feet elevation. Below you see two photos ... one of the Coon Lake site and a close-up showing the cut triangular-shaped stem.