The bulrush was termed 'reedmace' by botanists until the 1970s,
but the common English name 'bulrush’'has since been accepted.
This robust species grows up to 2.5 m in height, and has linear leaves.
The most characteristic feature of this plant, however, is the distinctive,
dark brown busby-like flowering head, known as a 'spadix'. The individual flowers are tiny, closely packed and surrounded by slender hairs; female flowers, which produce seeds, are situated towards the bottom of the spadix, the male flowers are located towards the top, and in this species the male and female regions of the spadix are touching.
In Dutch we call this plant (grote lisdodde)