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 ?

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by The Woodman

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

Where does Hedge Accentor come in ?

Accentor is a genus of insectivorous birds. Dunnock is our only regular species, but Alpine Accentor does turn up as a rare vagrant on a very irregular basis from European alpine habitats. There are more species in central Asia with about 5 species in the Tien Shan Mountains, Kazakhstan.

[Hobjob]

Bulrush - Typha latifolia
The respective names of this plant, and that of its close relative, Typha angustifolia, have been the source of confusion for many years. This one was once almost always called reedmace but became known as bulrush (or sometimes bull-rush) after a painting by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema. His Moses in the Bulrushes showed the baby in a basket among plants which are clearly of the genus Typha. After that, the name bulrush, formerly applied exclusively to Scirpus (or Schoenoplectus) lacustris attached itself to Typha latifolia (and lesser bulrush to T. angustifolia) and many botanists have now given up the argument that these are incorrect.

Bulrush - Typha latifolia - Natural England


Support, not definitive proof though

[thunder]

Originally Posted by Hobjob

Bulrush - Typha latifolia
The respective names of this plant, and that of its close relative, Typha angustifolia, have been the source of confusion for many years. This one was once almost always called reedmace but became known as bulrush (or sometimes bull-rush) after a painting by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema. His Moses in the Bulrushes showed the baby in a basket among plants which are clearly of the genus Typha. After that, the name bulrush, formerly applied exclusively to Scirpus (or Schoenoplectus) lacustris attached itself to Typha latifolia (and lesser bulrush to T. angustifolia) and many botanists have now given up the argument that these are incorrect.

Bulrush - Typha latifolia - Natural England


Support, not definitive proof though

This story is spoilt by the fact that Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema does not seem to have painted a picture of this title or appearance. He did paint "The Finding of Moses" but the baby is not hidden in a basket among plants of any kind. He is being carried in a basket by two young ladies - some white flowers dangle from the basket, and the bottom of the picture is framed with what appear to be delphiniums. Not a Reedmace in sight.

henrya

[treecreeper]

I am one of the diehards who will never accept 'bulrush' as a valid name for Typha Latifolia.

I don't know about the painting story but there is something similar in the pronunciation of 'gnu'. The official pronunciation is 'noo' but since Flanders and Swann ('I'm a gnu') pretty well everyone says 'g-noo'.

I'd better not get started on the pronunciation of 'deity'....


The Gnu Song
A year ago, last Thursday I was strolling in the zoo
when I met a man who though he knew the lot.
He was laying down the law about the habits of Baboons
And how many quills a porcupine has got.
So I asked him: 'What's that creature there?'
He answered: 'Oh, H'it's a H'elk'
I might of gone on thinking that was true,
If the animal in question hadn't put that chap to shame
And remarked: 'I h'aint a H'elk. I'm a Gnu!'

'I'm a Gnu, I'm a Gnu
The g-nicest work of g-nature in the zoo
I'm a Gnu, How do you do
You really ought to k-now w-ho's w-ho's
I'm a Gnu, Spelt G-N-U
I'm g-not a Camel or a Kangaroo
So let me introduce,
I'm g-neither man nor moose
Oh g-no g-no g-no I'm a Gnu'

I had taken furnished lodgings down at Rustington-on-Sea
Whence I travelled on to Ashton-under-Lyne it was actually
And the second night I stayed there I was woken from a dream
That I'll tell you all about some other time
Among the hunting trophies on the wall above my bed
Stuffed and mounted, was a face I thought I knew;
A Bison? No, it's not a Bison. An Okapi? Unlikely, Really. A Hartebeest?
When I thought I heard a voice: 'I'm a Gnu!'

I'm a Gnu, ,A g-nother gnu
I wish I could g-nash my teeth at you!
I'm a Gnu, How do you do
You really ought to k-now w-ho's w-ho.
I'm a Gnu Spelt G-N-U,
Call me Bison or Okapi and I'll sue
G-nor am I the least
Like that dreadful Hartebeest,
Oh, g-no, g-no, g-no,
G-no g-no g-no I'm a Gnu
G-no g-no g-no I'm a Gnu

[rangersarah2]

Brilliant poem. Had me giggling for ages.

I tend to use both names when I am talking to people, but I would love to be a purist about reedmace/bulrushes.

Things that have two names do cause confusion too, like the dunnock. Mountain ash and rowan is another one.

[Adam Cheeseman]

Greater Reed Mace Typha latifolia was colloquially known as Bulrush for as long as I can remember. It now appears to have been adopted as the official name, which is slightly confusing as the Common Bulrush a completely different plant has now been rebranded as Common Club-rush. At least I think that's the latest taxonomy on the matter. I'm sure someone will correct me.

Greater Reedmace is what I call it.