Erect bur-reed

Family Sparganiaceae. Occurs in almost all of Europe.

Plants 50-150 cm tall with a creeping rhizome and an erect branched stem. Leaves long, narrow, triangular, sheathing the stem, resembling iris leaves. Flowers in globular heads; each branch of the stem bears from 6 to 12 staminate inflorescences the size of a pea, and beneath them a small number of larger pistillate ones. Blooms from June to August. Fruits are drupes with spongy flesh, gathered into heads that look like spiny green balls. The plant is decorative during fruiting.