Branched Bur-reed - Sparganium erectum

Description

Medium to tall robust erect plant to 1.5 metres. Leaves usually erect, occasionally floating. Inflorescence branched, but individual flower clusters unstalked. The male clusters above and the female clusters on lateral branches.

Similar Species

Unbranched Bur-reed has flowers in a single, unbranched spike. The leaf spikes of the genus can be distinguished from other similar plants, such as Bulrush and Yellow Flag, by the brown tips, particularly later in the season.

Identification difficulty
Habitat

Freshwater margins.

When to see it

July and August.

Life History

Perennial.

UK Status

Fairly common in England and Wales, less so in northern Scotland.

VC55 Status

Common in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 409 of the 617 tetrads.

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2020+ | 2015-2019 | pre-2015

UK Map

Species profile

Common names
Branched Bur-reed
Species group:
Grasses, Rushes & Sedges
Kingdom:
Plantae
Order:
Poales
Family:
Typhaceae
Records on NatureSpot:
135
First record:
01/07/1998 (John Mousley)
Last record:
04/10/2023 (Nicholls, David)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

10km squares with records

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