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black-fruit spike-rush, black-fruit spikesedge

Culms

to 2 times wider than thick, 35–60(–70) cm × 0.5–1.3 mm, hard, usually with to 10 blunt ribs, at 20X often finely ridged and minutely granular.

Leaves

distal leaf sheaths brown to reddish.

Spikelets

3–12 × 3–4 mm;

proximal scale amplexicaulous, 3.5–4 mm, midrib region very broad and fleshy, apex entire;

subproximal scale with a flower;

floral scales 30–40, 8–10 per mm of rachilla, orange-brown to stramineous, midrib region stramineous, broadly ovate, papery or sometimes membranous, 3–4 × 2 mm, apex entire, rounded.

Flowers

perianth bristles present, sometimes rudimentary, brown, length variable, obscurely retrorsely spinulose;

anthers brown, 1.7–2.2 mm.

Achenes

subdeltoid in outline, sometimes broadly obpyriform, equilaterally trigonous, angles prominent, 0.9–1.2 × 0.7–1.1 mm, apex truncate.

Tubercles

sessile, depressed-pyramidal, often apiculate, as wide as achene, 0.3–0.5 × 0.7–1.1 mm.

Eleocharis melanocarpa

Phenology Fruiting summer.
Habitat Fresh, oligotrophic, acid, sandy or peaty, often drying shores, ponds, ditches
Elevation 10–300 m (0–1000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; IN; MA; MI; NC; NY; RI; SC; TX; VA
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[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Eleocharis melanocarpa is reported from Rhode Island; I have not seen a voucher specimen.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 23, p. 89.
Parent taxa Cyperaceae > Eleocharis > subg. Eleocharis > sect. Eleocharis > ser. Melanocarpae
Sibling taxa
E. acicularis, E. aestuum, E. albida, E. ambigens, E. atropurpurea, E. baldwinii, E. bella, E. bernardina, E. bicolor, E. bifida, E. bolanderi, E. brachycarpa, E. brittonii, E. cancellata, E. cellulosa, E. coloradoensis, E. compressa, E. cylindrica, E. decumbens, E. diandra, E. elliptica, E. elongata, E. engelmannii, E. equisetoides, E. erythropoda, E. fallax, E. flavescens, E. geniculata, E. intermedia, E. interstincta, E. kamtschatica, E. lanceolata, E. macrostachya, E. mamillata, E. microcarpa, E. minima, E. montana, E. montevidensis, E. nana, E. nigrescens, E. nitida, E. obtusa, E. obtusetrigona, E. occulta, E. ovata, E. pachycarpa, E. palustris, E. parishii, E. parvula, E. quadrangulata, E. quinqueflora, E. radicans, E. ravenelii, E. retroflexa, E. reverchonii, E. robbinsii, E. rostellata, E. suksdorfiana, E. tenuis, E. torticulmis, E. tortilis, E. tricostata, E. tuberculosa, E. uniglumis, E. vivipara, E. wolfii
Name authority Torrey: Ann. Lyceum Nat. Hist. New York 3: 311. (1836)
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