Eleocharis baldwinii
Eleocharis cancellata
Baldwin's spike-rush
Arizona spikerush
often arching, sometimes spotted or streaked red-brown, quadrangular or broadly elliptic, sulcate or not, 0.5–25(–30) cm × 0.1–0.4 mm, soft.
mostly ascending, terete or 4-angled, 2 cm × 0.2–0.3 mm, soft.
distal leaf sheaths persistent or disintegrating, stramineous, green, red-brown, or spotted or streaked red-brown, membranous, translucent, apex obtuse or acute.
distal leaf sheaths persistent, greenish to whitish, translucent, membranous, apex blunt.
basal spikelets usually present, pistillate; often proliferous, ovoid, ellipsoid, or linear, clearly laterally compressed, 2.3–6.9 × 0.5–2 mm, apex acute, proximal scale empty, amplexicaulous, similar to floral scales (midribs sometimes more prominent and sometimes slightly prolonged beyond lamina);
subproximal scale with a flower;
floral scales clearly distichous, 3–9, 3–4 per mm of rachilla, yellowish, pale brown, or red-brown, spotted, streaked, or mottled red-brown, narrowly ovate to oblong, (1.5–)2–5 × 0.4–0.6(–1.2) mm, membranous, apex rounded, obtuse or rarely acute, midribs keeled.
ovoid, 2–3 × 1 mm, apex acute;
floral scales 7–10, 5 per mm of rachilla, bright brown or colorless, medially greenish, ovate to lanceolate, not folded lengthwise, 0.8–1.2(–1.5) × 0.6–0.8 mm, midrib obscure to slightly keeled, apex acute to acuminate.
perianth bristles 3–7, incurved, colorless, white, or red-brown, shorter than or equaling achene;
spinules sparse, retrorse, sharply acute;
stamens 3;
anthers 1.4–2.2 mm;
styles 3-fid.
perianth bristles absent;
anthers orange-brown, 0.2–0.3 mm.
whitish or greenish, spotted dark green, obovoid, trigonous, angles prominent, 0.6–0.9 × 0.4–0.6 mm, apex constricted proximal to tubercle, smooth to finely cancellate at 10–20X.
brownish, broadly ovoid to obpyriform, much less than 2 times longer than wide, with angles plus longitudinal ridges ca. 6, rather obscure, 0.5–0.55 × 0.35 mm, apex blunt, trabeculae 15–20, distinct.
pale to red-brown, pyramidal, trigonous, 0.2–0.3(–0.4) × 0.2–0.5 mm.
grayish or brownish, often appressed, mostly pyramidal, 0.1 × 0.1 mm.
Eleocharis baldwinii
Eleocharis cancellata
Coarse plants of Eleocharis baldwinii usually bear more achenes per spikelet, dark colored achenes, culms gray-green when dried, and yellowish sheaths. Finer plants often bear few achenes per spikelet, whitish achenes, culms that are mid green when dried, and reddish sheaths. Achene color may relate to maturity, with darker achenes being fully mature. Although these variants appear to intergrade, they may be recognizable taxonomically. The longer floral scales in the spikelet are usually 3.5– 5 mm.
We have not seen vouchers to verify the report of Eleocharis baldwinii from Virginia.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Of conservation concern.
Eleocharis cancellata is very similar to E. bella. The achenes of E. cancellata are relatively broader in relation to their length, the angles and ridges obscure and fewer, and the trabeculae very distinct and faintly wavy at 35X. R. McVaugh and W. R. Anderson (1974+, vol. 13) mentioned possible intermediates with E. acicularis from Mexico. Eleocharis cancellata has been reported from the flora area from three collections: (1) Texas, Jeff Davis County, A. Brant et al. 2237, 1993, originally identified as E. bella; (2) southwestern Texas or northern Mexico (probably from near San Antonio), Parry & Palmer 912, 1879–1880; and (3) Arizona, Santa Cruz County(?), C. Wright 1937, collected in 1851. Although it was also reported from New Mexico (H. K. Svenson 1929), E. cancellata probably does not occur there (R. McVaugh and W. R. Anderson 1974+, vol. 13).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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