Non-woody (herbaceous) aquatic perennials of bogs and peaty shores, growing from creeping jointed rhizomes. Stem angled upward, zigzag. Leaves mostly along stem but also basal, alternate, linear, grass-like, erect, with broad dilated sheaths at base, nearly round in cross section and tubular toward the tip with a distinctive open pore at at the very tip.
Flowers in a loose raceme at top of stem, pollinated by wind. Flower stalks with bracts. Sepals and petals each 3, yellow-green, similar. Stamens 6, separate, with short stalks and a long pollen-producing structure at top (anther). Carpels 3, slightly united at base, spreading at maturity; style none; stigma 1/carpel, flat, facing outward. Fruit a cluster of 3 inflated beaked capsules, each curved outward with 1 or 2 seeds.

Fens, sphagnum bogs, often in standing water, but not covered by it

Flowers purplish- to yellowish-green, 3-6, stalked in raceme at top of stem. Petals and sepals similar, each about 3 mm long, oval to lance-shaped. Flower stalks with bracts. Fruit 2-3 spreading, straw-coloured, hazelnut-shaped pods; 2 seeds per pod, each 6-8 mm long.
Leaves alternate and basal, grass-like, 1-3 mm wide, erect to ascending, with an open pore at the tip. Lowest leaves longest, up to 40 cm long; upper leaves smaller, uppermost merely bracts. Leaf bases with a prominent dilated sheath.
Stems erect, single or few, smooth, green to purple, usually less than 30 cm, shorter than the longest leaves.

tn-scheuchzeria-palustris-liddle-lk-nb-accdc-sean-blaney-2006-08-23

TN Scheuchzeria palustris-Liddle Lk NB ACCDC Sean Blaney 2006-08-23

Scheuchzeria palustris Shea Lake NB 1 August 2011 147_Jim Goltz

Scheuchzeriaceae

Podgrass Family