Eleocharis albida
Eleocharis ravenelii
white spikerush
not rooting at tips, terete, 10–40 cm, soft to firm, smooth.
terete, when dry with to 12 blunt ribs, 20–55 cm × 0.5–1.1 mm, soft to firm, internally mostly hollow with complete transverse septa 2–4 mm apart, evident only on sectioning culm.
distal leaf sheaths proximally brownish or sometimes reddish, distally stramineous to green.
distal leaf sheaths persistent, not splitting, proximally dark red, distally stramineous or reddish, thinly papery, apex often red to brown, obtuse to subtruncate, slightly callose, tooth present, 0.5–1(–3.7) mm.
ovoid to oblong-subcylindric, 4–12 × 2–3.5 mm, apex acute to rounded;
proximal scale empty, clasping 1/2 of culm, like floral scales;
subproximal 1 or 2 scales often empty;
floral scales 20–100, 10 per mm of rachilla, entirely stramineous or sometimes red-brown, ovate, (1.5–)2–2.5 × 1.5 mm, apex broadly rounded, entire.
lanceoloid, 5–13 × 2–2.5 mm, apex acute to obtuse;
proximal scale amplexicaulous, entire;
subproximal scale empty;
floral scales appressed in fruit, 10–100, 10–12 per mm of rachilla, medium brown to stramineous, midrib regions often greenish, ovate, 1–1.5 × 1 mm, entire, apex rounded to subacute, carinate in distal part of spikelet.
perianth bristles (5–)6(–8), brown, stout, the longer equaling achene or tubercle, retrorsely spinulose;
stamens 3;
anthers brown, 1 mm.
perianth bristles 5–6, pale brown, stout, equaling achene;
stamens 3;
anthers brown, 0.4–0.9 mm;
styles 3-fid or a few 2-fid in the same spikelet.
falling with scales, obovoid, angles keeled, 0.8–1 × 0.7–0.8 mm, apex with short neck.
falling with scales, green or medium or dark brown, obpyriform, compressed-trigonous or some biconvex in same spikelet, angles prominent, 0.6–0.8 × 0.5–0.6 mm, neck short or absent, smooth or very finely reticulate at 20–30X.
whitish to brown, mammillate to pyramidal, 0.2–0.3 × 0.3–0.35 mm, 1/3 or less as wide as achene.
brown, depressed-pyramidal, 0.1–0.2 × 0.2–0.3 mm.
Eleocharis albida
Eleocharis ravenelii
In most spikelets, the bright brown stigmas contrast strikingly with the stramineous floral scales. We have not seen vouchers for H. K. Svenson’s (1937) reports of Eleocharis albida from Virginia. The collections we have seen from Maryland are from the 1800s.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Of conservation concern.
Eleocharis ravenelii is apparently very uncommon in North America. It is often mistaken for very slender-stemmed E. montana, which differs in its spikelets with floral scales 1.5 mm or more, 100–500 per spikelet and 15–40 per mm of rachilla, its mostly larger and biconvex achenes, and its culm septa usually evident without sectioning the culm. Although the holotype of E. ravenelii (NY), from Corpus Christi, Texas, lacks culm bases and leaf sheaths, its culms, spikelets, floral scales, and achenes are typical of the later E. austrotexana M. C. Johnston.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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