Branching Burreed (Sparganium androcladum (Engelmann) Morong; Typhaceae) rediscovered in Ontario, but conservation status unclear

Abstract

We report three new records of Branching Burreed (Sparganium androcladum), which has not been seen in Ontario in several decades. This species is understudied and has been confused with other taxa, primarily American Burreed (Sparganium americanum). It is not known when it was last collected in the province, and its conservation status is unclear. Specimens identified as Branching Burreed are few and do not fully clarify the situation; of the 14 putative S. androcladum specimens we examined, five are too immature to verify confidently, and at least seven are misidentified. Previous specimen-based maps are probably not accurate representations of Branching Burreed’s provincial distribution, but it is likely more widespread than records indicate. We provide a description of our new records and notes on identification to provide a basis for additional study of this plant.