Narrative
‘LABR275’ is a California bulrush (Schoenoplectus californicus (C.A. Mey.)) germplasm developed through selections of 44 California bulrush ecotypes collected from coastal marshes that experienced periodical exposures to the elevated levels of salinity in 10 Louisiana parishes and 1 Texas county (Plaquemines, Calcasieu, Cameron, Lafourche, Terrebonne, St. Mary, Iberia, Vermilion, St. Charles, and Tangipahoa, LA; and Orange, TX). California bulrush is an emergent aquatic perennial plant native to the southern United States, northern, southern, and central California, and Oregon. It is a freshwater plant species capable of tolerating salinity only up to 6 part per thousand (ppt). LABR275 is salt tolerant California bulrush that can tolerate salinity at 10 ppt. It has excellent growth characteristics in both freshwater and brackish environments. Under freshwater environments, LABR275 has a linear spread of 1.45 m, stem count of 19 per m2, average height of 1.63 m, and stem diameter of 1.4 cm. Under brackish environments, it has a linear spread of 1.75 m, stem count of 39.4 per m2, height of 1.63 m, and stem diameter of 1.1 cm. As a comparison, cultivar ‘Restorer’ has an average linear spread of 1.51 m, stem count of 30.2 per m2, height of 1.56 m, and stem diameter of 1.2 cm. With superior growth performance and improved salinity tolerance, this germplasm can help expand the scope of California bulrush uses for erosion control, creation of more productive habitats for fish and wildlife, and remediation of industrial and agricultural pollutants from freshwater to brackish marsh environments.