California bulrush facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Schoenoplectus californicus California bulrush
Inflorescence
Conservation status
Secure (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Clade:	Commelinids
Order:	Poales
Family:	Cyperaceae
Genus:	Schoenoplectus
Species:	S. californicus
Binomial name
Schoenoplectus californicus (C.A. Mey.) Steud.
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Synonyms
Dichromena atrosanguinea Elytrospermum californicum Malacochaete assimilis Malacochaete chilense Malacochaete oligostachya Malacochaete riparia Malacochaete sanguinolenta Malacochaete tatora Schoenoplectus chamissoi Schoenoplectus pseudotriqueter Schoenoplectus riparius Schoenoplectus tatora Scirpus californicus Scirpus chamissoi Scirpus decipiens Scirpus pseudotriqueter Scirpus rigidus Scirpus tereticulmis

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Schoenoplectus californicus is a type of sedge plant. It is commonly known as the California bulrush, southern bulrush, or giant bulrush. Sometimes, people call it "tule," but the plant most often called "tule" is actually a close relative, Schoenoplectus acutus.

About the California Bulrush

This plant grows in water, often in marshy areas. It spreads using underground stems called rhizomes, which help it form large groups.

You can find it naturally in wet places across the southern and western United States, Mexico, Central America, and South America. It also grows on far-off islands like Easter Island and the Falkland Islands. It has also started growing in other places like New Zealand, Hawaii, and the Cook Islands, even though it wasn't originally from there.

The California bulrush has tall, thin stems that are dark green. These stems are usually shaped like a triangle when you look at them closely. Its flowers are tan or brown, look a bit woolly or bristly, and grow in clusters.

How People Use It

One very special type of this plant is called totora, or Schoenoplectus californicus subsp. tatora. This plant is famous because the Uros people, who live on Lake Titicaca, use it to build amazing floating islands! They also use it to make boats and houses. You can also find totora growing on the isolated Easter Island in the Pacific Ocean.

Images for kids

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  Caballos de Totora in Huanchaco Peru

See also

In Spanish: Schoenoplectus californicus para niños