Alkali or seacoast bulrush (Bolboschoenus
maritimus)
Range
q West coast of
Climate, elevation
q Low to mid
elevations. (1)
Local occurrence (where, how common)
q Found in all six
counties surrounding
Habitat preferences
q Marshes, transient
wet spots, pond margins & backwater areas. (1)
Plant strategy type/successional stage (stress-tolerator, competitor, weedy/colonizer, seral, late successional)
q Perennial,
rhizomatous wetland obligate. Forms dense stands in alkaline or saline sites.
(1)
q Can occur on
freshwater sites but is usually a pioneering species that will be replaced over
time with more permanent species. (1)
Associated species
q Potentilla anserina (Pacific silverweed) (3)
q Carex lyngbyei (Lyngbyei’s sedge) (3)
May be collected as:
(seed, layered, divisions, etc.)
q Seed & wild transplants. (1)
q Division in spring. (2)
Collection
restrictions or guidelines
q Seeds ripen in late
August to October & may be collected by stripping the seeds from the plant
by hand or clipping the seed head using a pair of hand shears. A power seed
harvester may also be used. (1)
q The bracts, which are
found in the seed heads, are very irritating to the skin so gloves &
protective eyewear should be worn when harvesting. (1)
Seed germination (needs dormancy breaking?)
q Germination rate
may be increased by wet pre-chilling the seed in a mixture of water &
sphagnum moss for 30 days. (1)
Seed life (can be stored, short shelf-life, long
shelf-life)
q Seeds can remain viable for up to 20 years if kept in a dry place at
room temperature. (1)
Recommended seed storage conditions
q Dry & at room temperature.
Propagation recommendations (plant seeds,
vegetative parts, cuttings, etc.)
q Propagation of seed
under green house conditions. Planted in the field as plugs or wild
transplants. (1)
q Propagation by division in spring. Larger
divisions can be planted directly on site. Smaller divisions should be kept
under green house conditions & planted on site once they are well
established in the summer. (2)
Soil or medium requirements (inoculums necessary?)
q Adapted to soil
textures from fine clay to silt loams to sands. (1)
q PH up to 9.0. (1)
Installation form (form, potential for successful outcomes, cost)
q Seeds need light,
moisture & heat for germination. Seed should be placed on soil surface (not
covered) with good soil contact. Germination within 1-2 weeks. Maintain moisture
until plants are transplanted. (1)
q Planting plugs (either from the greenhouse or wild transplants) is the
most successful way to establish this species. (1)
q Wild transplants can be collected & planted directly into desired
site. (1)
Recommended planting density
q Plug spacing of
30-45 cm will fill in within one growing season. (1)
Care requirements after installed (water weekly, water once etc.)
q Soils should be kept saturated.
Fluctuating water levels during the first year will increase spread. (1)
Normal rate of growth or spread; lifespan
q Tends to spread
& reproduce when the water table is within 10cm of the surface. Spreads by
seed & rhizome growth. (1)
q Pioneering species that is replaced over time with more permanent
species. (1)
Sources cited
1.
USDA, NRCS. 1994. Interagency Riparian/Wetland Project,
Wetland Plant Fact Sheet, http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/pubs/idpmcfselpa3.pdf
2.
Plants for a Future-Species Database. Last Updated: 2000. http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Scirpus+maritimus
3.
Guard, B.
Jennifer. Wetland Plants of