SafePlants

Scheuchzeria palustris: Rannoch-rush, Pod Grass

Scheuchzeria palustris, commonly known as Rannoch-rush or pod grass, is a unique flowering plant with an interesting history and specific habitat requirements. This plant is also known simply as Scheuchzeria.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Scientific Name: Scheuchzeria palustris L.
• Family: Scheuchzeriaceae (Rannoch-rush Family)
• Genus: Scheuchzeria (monotypic - containing only one species)
• Synonyms: Scheuchzeria americana, Scheuchzeria palustris ssp. americana (Fernald) Hultn.
• Taxonomic Rank: Species; subspecies (Scheuchzeria palustris ssp. americana)

Distribution and Habitat

• Scheuchzeria palustris is found in wet peat bogs.
• Rannoch Moor in west Scotland is a notable location, being the sole British location where this plant is found.
• The plant has also been observed in locations like Anchorage Borough, Alaska, and Habo.
• The plant has been found in very old layers of peat.

Morphological Characteristics

• Rannoch-rush is an herbaceous perennial plant.
• It grows in wet hollows and overgrowing puddle verges.
• The plant turns yellow with fruits.
• Leaf: Basal Plant Observed 3rd week of May thru 3rd week.

Quirky Facts

• Rannoch Moor, the plant's primary UK location, was described by Robert Louis Stevenson as “A wearier looking desert a man never saw.”
• The plant is named after Rannoch Moor.
• There is also a Rannoch Looper, a type of moth.

Further Information

• RHS (Royal Horticultural Society): Provides help and information on Scheuchzeria palustris.
• Discover Life: Offers a page about the biology, natural history, ecology, identification, and distribution of Rannoch-rush.