Eleocharis bolanderi |
Eleocharis parvula |
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Bolander's spikerush |
small spikerush |
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Habit | Plants perennial, densely cespitose; rhizomes caudex-like, mostly hidden by culms and roots, short, 1.5–3 mm thick, internodes very short. | Plants perennial, rhizomatous, internodes to 4 cm; tubers terminating rhizomes usually markedly J- or horseshoe-shaped, body (apart from apical bud) oblong, 2–2.5(5) × 0.5–1 mm; tubers among culm bases straight, narrowly fusiform, 4–5 mm. |
Culms | subterete, 10–30 cm × 0.3–0.5 mm. |
terete, 2–9 cm × 0.2–0.5 mm. |
Spikes | ovoid, 3–8 × 2–3 mm; proximal scale clasping; entire, subproximal scale with flower; floral scales 8–30, 4–5 per mm of rachilla, 2–3 × 1.5 mm; apex entire; acute, often keeled in distal part of spike. |
2–4 × 1–2 mm; proximal scale 50% or more of spike length; floral scales 6–10 per spike, 1.4–2.7 mm; apex rounded to subacute. |
Flowers | perianth bristles 3–6, often unequal; from rudimentary to 50% of achene length; anthers 0.9–1.4 mm; stigmas 3. |
perianth bristles 6, usually equaling achene to slightly exceeding tubercle, sometimes unequal and some 50% of achene; very rarely rudimentary; anthers 0.7–1.2 mm; stigmas (2)3. |
Achenes | slightly to greatly compressed-trigonous, rarely thickly lenticular, 0.9–1.2 × 0.65–0.8 mm. |
thickly trigonous, 0.9–1.2 × 0.55–0.75 mm. |
Distal leaf sheaths | persistent, not splitting; apex obtuse, rarely hardened, lacking a tooth. |
often disintegrating, thinly membranous; apex rounded. |
Tubercles | flat to shallowly pyramidal; lower than wide, 0.1–0.3 × 0.4–0.65 mm. |
0.1–0.2 × 0.15 mm. |
Eleocharis bolanderi |
Eleocharis parvula |
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Distribution | ||
Discussion | Shallow, rocky, ephemeral streams. 1100–2100 m. BR, BW, Owy. CA, NV, ID; east to CO. Native. Eleocharis bolanderi is easily recognized in summer when it forms masses of dry, brown, dormant and apparently dead culms in dry stream beds. It is easily pulled up to expose its cespitose habit. The virtually flat tubercles are particularly distinctive. |
Brackish or saline tidal marshes and other coastal wetlands. 0–50 m. Est. CA, WA; throughout much of North America; Eurasia. Native. When growing submerged in deeper water, the plants may not produce spikes and can be confused with E. acicularis and Schoenoplectus subterminalis. |
Source | Flora of Oregon, volume 1, page 240 Barbara Wilson, Richard Brainerd, Nick Otting |
Flora of Oregon, volume 1, page 242 Barbara Wilson, Richard Brainerd, Nick Otting |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Eleocharis parvula var. parvula, Scirpus nanus | |
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