Scirpus

Scirpus, a genus of plants of the order Cyperaceæ (q.v.). The plants of this genus are called Club-rushes, and the Common Bulrush (S. lacustris) of our ponds and sluggish streams is a familiar example. The rhizomes of S. dubius are eaten by the natives of the south of India; as are the tubers of S. tuberosus by the Chinese, who cultivate the plant in tanks and ponds. The species of this genus, about 300, are universally diffused, although found chiefly in temperate climates. They date from the Lower Miocene period.