Dulichium

Scientific name

Dulichium Pers.

Common names

threeway sedge, dwarf bamboo

Family

Cyperaceae

Native distribution

temperatetemperate:
(adj) of the climatic zone between boreal and tropical
North America

Species cultivated

Dulichium arundinaceum (L.) Britton

Adventive distribution

none

Weed status

not weedy

Habit

amphibiousamphibious:
(adj) of a plant able to live on land or in water
sedge, often emergentemergent:
(adj) (syn. emersed) with parts raised out of the water; extending up out of the water

Brief description

Perennial. Rhizomes creeping; stems erect, unbranched, round, internodes hollow. Leaves spiral, 3-ranked; lowest leaves bladeless, reduced to sheaths; caulinecauline:
(adj) pertaining to or belonging to the stem
leaves linear, flat, glabrousglabrous:
(adj) without hairs or scales
; upper 5–20 leaves serving as bracts. Inflorescenceinflorescence:
(n) the arrangement of flowers on the floral axis
an axillaryaxillary:
(adj) in, of, or produced from an axil
spikespike:
(n) an indeterminate, unbranching inflorescence of sessile flowers or flower clusters on a usually elongated axis
; spikelets 1–17, linear, flat, 2-ranked, ascending to spreading. Flowers distichousdistichous:
(adj) (of leaves or flowers) distinctly arranged in two ranks along an axis; leaves may be opposite or alternate
, bisexualbisexual:
(adj) having both male and female sexual reproductive structures on one individual or in one flower
; bracts lanceolatelanceolate:
(adj) lance-shaped; widest point below the middle, tapering to the apex
, 2-ranked, each with one flower; perianthperianth:
(n) collective term for the calyx and corolla of a flower; also used for floral whorl(s) in which the calyx and corolla cannot be resolved; any of the leaves or bracts surrounding the sex organs of bryophytes
reduced to 6-9 bristles, with reflexedreflexed:
(adj) abruptly curved or bent downward
barbs; stamens 3; stylestyle:
(n) in a flower, the narrow and elongated part of the pistil between the stigma and the ovary
base persistentpersistent:
(adj) (of leaves etc,) remaining attached; not being dropped or falling off
.

Natural habitat

margins of marshes, swamps, ponds, lakes, streams, bogs, and wet meadows; wet places and in shallow water

Additional comments

This genus contains a single species, Dulichium arundinaceum, which has two varieties. This species is confined to North America, although fossils are known from Europe and eastern Asia. It is often sold as a bog or pond plant under the common name ‘dwarf bamboo’.