Northeastern Bulrush

Scirpus ancistrochaetus

Description

Northeastern bulrush, Scirpus ancistrochaetus, is a tall, perennial sedge, which grows 30-47 in (76-119 cm) in height. Its thin leaves are 40-60 times as long as they are wide. The plant produces an arching cluster of flowers, each surrounded by bristles with sharp, downward-pointing barbs. The flowers bloom from mid-June to July and the yellow-brown fruits set between July and September. This species is also known as barbed bristle bulrush.

Habitat

This bulrush is found at widely scattered small wetlands such as natural ponds, sinkholes, or wet depressions in low-lying areas of hilly country in the mid-Atlantic and northeastern states. It grows at the unshaded margins of these wetlands in water that is acidic to almost neutral. The water levels in these wetlands vary seasonally, and they sometimes completely dry up.

Distribution

Northeastern bulrush was first discovered in 1962 at Rockingham, Windham County, Vermont. Historical records indicate that the species has been known from Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia. Four collection sites in Pennsylvania (in Blair, Lehigh, Monroe, and Northampton Counties) and one in New York (in Washington County) no longer support the species.

As of the late 1990s, a total of 13 populations of northeastern bulrush were located in Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia. Nine populations contain fewer than 70 plants, and six of those have fewer than 25. All but two are on privately owned land; one is on state land in Pennsylvania, while another is on federal land in Virginia.

In Virginia four counties (Alleghany, Augusta, Bath, and Rockingham) have single populations of northeastern bulrush. All are found in shallow sinkholes overlying sandstone in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Three sites are on private land; one is in the George Washington National Forest. In West Virginia there are two populations in Berkeley County, both on private land. One consists of 1,400 plants in two ponds; at the other, 400 plants occur in three patches in a single pond. In Maryland a single site with about 100 plants is located in Frederick County on private land adjacent to a state wildlife management area.

Two northeastern bulrush populations in Pennsylvania (Clinton and Lackawanna Counties) have not been seen in the last few years. The Clinton County site is within the Bald Eagle State Forest. These populations, which consisted of only one and two plants respectively, may now be lost. In Monroe County a newly discovered population in a shallow lake on privately owned land consists of between 25 and 50 clumps. In Massachusetts a population of four plants occurs in a privately owned shallow depression in Franklin County. In Vermont two populations occur in Windham County. An emergent marsh on the Connecticut River supports a population that has declined from 69 plants to 10 since 1985. Although the land is privately owned, the Nature Conservancy has worked out a management agreement with the owner. The second Vermont population is on a privately owned wetland complex of shallow pools and abandoned beaver ponds. In 1989 and 1990 none of the 12 plants counted in 1985 could be found. The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service also lists the species as endangered in New Hampshire.

Threats

The greatest threat to the northeastern bulrush is the destruction of its fragile wetland habitat for agricultural, residential, or recreational development. The habitat is also threatened by water pollution, excavation, and, when dry, by off-road vehicle use. Development pressures are especially strong in the southern portion of the species' range. In Virginia almost half of the ponds considered suitable habitat for the species have been degraded by fill, excavation, or pollution. The West Virginia populations are located near an area undergoing residential development. Nearby land has already been subdivided and is being sold as home sites.

Conservation and Recovery

These small, wetland habitats are currently exempted from many of the permit requirements of the Clean Water Act. If they support a federally listed species such as northeastern bulrush, however, the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, which administers the act, must consult with the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) before issuing a permit to alter the wetland. The FWS has notified the Corps of Engineers of the location of northeastern bulrush populations so that remaining sites can be protected.

Contacts

U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Regional Office, Division of Endangered Species
300 Westgate Center Dr.
Hadley, Massachusetts 01035-9589
Telephone: (413) 253-8200
Fax: (413) 253-8308
http://northeast.fws.gov/

U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service
New England Ecological Services Field Office
22 Bridge St., Suite 1
Concord, New Hampshire 03301-4986
Telephone: (603) 225-1411
Fax: (603) 225-1467
http://www.fws.gov/r5fws/nh/nefo.htm

References

Bartgis, R. 1989. "Status Survey Summary: Scirpus ancistrochaetus in Maryland and West Virginia." Maryland Natural Heritage Program, Annapolis, Md.

Crow, G. E. 1982. "New England's Rare and Endangered Vascular Plants." U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Newton Corner, Mass.

"Notes on Five Species of Scirpus in Eastern North America." Bartonia 33 (1964): 1-6.

Rawinski, T. 1990. "Final Status Survey Report: Distribution and Abundance of Northeastern Bulrush (Scirpus ancistrochaetus )." Nature Conservancy, Eastern Heritage Task Force.

Schuyler, A. E. 1962. "A New Species of Scirpus in the Northeastern United States?" Rhodora 64: 43-49.

Schuyler, A. E. 1967. "A Taxonomic Revision of North American Leafy Species of Scirpus. " Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Science of Philadelphia 119: 295-323.