Simplestem bur-reed (Sparganium erectum)

Common Names: Exotic bur-reed, branched burreed, branched burreed

Description: This species is listed on the USDA Federal Noxious Weed List.

Habit: Perennial wetland or aquatic herbaceous plant with slender rhizomes and grows to 3-8 ft. in height.

Leaves: Long, flat, alternate, slightly keeled, either floating or held above water.

Stems: Erect, slender, terete, nearly always branched above.

Flowers: Inflorescence is branched, 5-13 staminate heads and 2-4 pistillate heads. Pistillate heads are sessile.

Fruit and seeds: Obovoid, sessile nutlets. Fruits have a truncated top with a small style at tip.

Habitat: Native to North America. Can be found in swamps, bogs, canals, lakes and rivers.

Reproduction: Reproduced vegetatively via slender rhizomes.

Credits: The information provided in this factsheet was gathered from the Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States and the International Union from Conservation of Nature Red List.

Individual species images that appear with a number in a black box are courtesy of the Bugwood.org network (http://www.invasive.org). Individual photo author credits may not be included due to the small display size of the images and subsequent difficulty of reading the provided text. All other images appear courtesy of Google (http://images.google.com).

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