Reed mace or bulrush?

[rangersarah2]

We are having a long-running discussion about whether to call reed mace reed mace or bulrush. Most members of the public that I deal with know them as bulrush (and I did until 10 years ago), and some books call them bulrush. Is that now the accepted name, or are we to dig our heels in and keep calling them reed mace?

[Gerel]

Don't you mean Cattails?

I used to get quite insistent on them being called reed mace but I think that battle has been lost.

Peatlands | Plants | Bulrush

Steve

[The Woodman]

It's Reedmace. Bullrush is a different plant but I know what you're getting at.

Reedmace was always Bullrush to me as a child and it sticks. That's the way common names can be confusing.

[aeshna5]

Bulrush can be used as a vernacular for 2 unrelated groups of plants - the club-rushes (the original bulrush) + reedmaces (Typha); so bulrush is rather ambiguous unless the other person knows which plant you mean.

[Hobjob]

Hoary old chestnut !!!

But do you know why the confusion exists?? Well this is what I was taught
by a botanist - though I haqe had a quick google and I can't confirm it ;-(

All down to a well known Bible picture, that I had in my first Bible,
entitled "Moses in the Bulrushes" with Reed-mace clearly shown.

I was told that when the artist did the picture it looked boring and so
added the Reed-mace, and people just assumed that the reed-mace
was a bulrush.

Anyone know the truth??

[thunder]

Originally Posted by Hobjob

Hoary old chestnut !!!

But do you know why the confusion exists?? Well this is what I was taught
by a botanist - though I haqe had a quick google and I can't confirm it ;-(

All down to a well known Bible picture, that I had in my first Bible,
entitled "Moses in the Bulrushes" with Reed-mace clearly shown.

I was told that when the artist did the picture it looked boring and so
added the Reed-mace, and people just assumed that the reed-mace
was a bulrush.

Anyone know the truth??

I have heard that theory - but I have never seen any evidence to support it. I would be very interested if anyone can discover any.

henrya

[davecatt]

Originally Posted by rangersarah2

We are having a long-running discussion about whether to call reed mace reed mace or bulrush. Most members of the public that I deal with know them as bulrush (and I did until 10 years ago), and some books call them bulrush. Is that now the accepted name, or are we to dig our heels in and keep calling them reed mace?

Hi Sarah
I'll start with a question: How would you respond to someone who called Dunnock a Hedge Sparrow?

To my way of thinking there is no difference between the two common misconceptions,whatever the reason.

Dave

[The Woodman]

Sorry for butting in Dave but the birds are one and the same. The plants are two seperate species.

[davecatt]

Hi Woodman
I think you missed the point, the Dunnock is not actually a sparrow and a Reed Mace is not a Bullrush,my argument is that both have misleading common names which suggest they are members of another species altogether.

Dave

[The Woodman]

I take you point Dave, I was looking from another angle.

Where does Hedge Accentor come in ?