Eleocharis bella |
Eleocharis cellulosa |
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delicate spikerush, pretty spikerush |
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Habit | Plants annual, rarely perennial, usually densely tufted; rhizomes rarely evident, 0.2–0.3 mm thick, internodes 1–5 mm. | |
Culms | often ascending or spreading, 4-angled or terete 1–7 cm × 0.2–0.3 mm. |
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Spikes | ovoid, 1.5–4 × 0.8–2 mm; floral scales 4–15, 8 per mm of rachilla, 1–1.5 × 0.5–0.7 mm; midrib obscure to somewhat keeled; apex narrowly acute to acuminate, slightly recurved. |
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Flowers | perianth bristles absent; anthers 0.3–0.5 mm; stigmas 3. |
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Achenes | with about 6–10 rather prominent angles and longitudinal ridges, broadly ovoid; less than 2 times longer than wide; (0.55)0.65–0.75 × 0.3–0.4 mm; fine horizontal ridges distinct, 20–30. |
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Distal leaf sheaths | often splitting; apex acute. |
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Tubercles | mostly appressed; pyramidal, often depressed, 0.1–0.2 × 0.1–0.25 mm. |
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Eleocharis bella |
Eleocharis cellulosa |
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Distribution | ||
Discussion | Exposed lake margins and streamsides, wet meadows. 0–2100 m. BR, BW, ECas, Owy, Sisk, WV. CA, ID, NV, WA; northeast to MT, southeast to NM, south to Mexico. Native. Eleocharis bella has sometimes been considered a variety of E. acicularis, which is a rhizomatous perennial with larger floral scales, anthers, and achenes. Hybrids between the two are unknown. |
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Source | Flora of Oregon, volume 1, page 240 Barbara Wilson, Richard Brainerd, Nick Otting |
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Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Eleocharis acicularis var. bella | |
Web links |
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