Eleocharis ovata |
Eleocharis atropurpurea |
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ovate spike-rush, ovoid spike-rush, ovoid spikesedge, éléocharide ovale |
purple spike-rush |
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Habit | Plants tufted, without creeping rhizomes. | |
Culms | 2–35 cm × 0.3–1 mm. |
2–12(–19) cm × 0.2–0.4 mm. |
Leaves | apex of distal leaf sheath obtuse to acute, tooth to 0.2 mm. |
distal leaf sheaths firm, distally tightly sheathing, apex acute. |
Spikelets | ovoid, 2–8 × 2–4 mm, apex acute (to blunt); floral scales 25–100+, ca. 10 per mm of rachilla, orange-brown, rarely stramineous, ovate, 1.5–2 × 1 mm, midribs often keeled in distal part of spikelet, apex rounded to subacute. |
ovoid to ellipsoid, 2–6(–8) × 1–2.5 mm, apex acute; proximal scale with or without flower, not amplexicaulous; floral scales to 100, 15–19 per mm of rachilla, often loosely appressed, dark red-brown to stramineous, ovate to elliptic, 0.6–1.3 × 0.3–0.7 mm, membranous, apex rounded to acute. |
Flowers | perianth bristles present, rarely absent, (5–)6–7, brown, fairly slender, exceeding tubercle; stamens 2(–3); anthers brown, 0.3 mm; styles 2-fid or some 3-fid. |
perianth bristles (0–)4–6, typically 4, colorless to whitish, vestigial to 1/2 as long as achene, smooth or spinuliferous; styles 2-fid. |
Achenes | 0.75–1 × 0.6–0.85 mm. |
black, obovoid, biconvex, 0.3–0.5 × 0.3–0.4 mm, apex often constricted proximal to tubercle, smooth at 40X. |
Tubercles | deltoid, 0.3–0.5 × 0.3–0.5 mm, 3/5 of to as high as wide, 1/3–2/3 as high and 1/2–3/4 as wide as achene. |
stramineous to whitish, umbonate to subconic, 0.1–0.2 × 0.1–0.2 mm, apex acute. |
2n | = 10. |
= 20. |
Eleocharis ovata |
Eleocharis atropurpurea |
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Phenology | Fruiting summer–fall. | Fruiting summer–fall (Jun–Sep). |
Habitat | Fresh, often drying shores, lake and stream beds, bogs, tidal estuaries, disturbed places | Canal banks, hammocks, irrigation ditches, lake and pond margins, maritime shores, rice fields |
Elevation | 10–700 m (East), 1500–2000 m (Arizona) (0–2300 ft (East), 4900–6600 ft (Arizona)) | 0–1800 m (0–5900 ft) |
Distribution |
AZ; CT; IA; IL; IN; KY; MA; ME; MI; MN; MO; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; AB; BC; NB; NL; NS; ON; PE; QC; Eurasia
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AL; CA; FL; GA; IA; KS; LA; MI; MO; NC; NE; NM; OK; SC; TX; WA; BC; Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies; Europe (naturalized); Asia; Africa; Pacific Islands
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Discussion | Although Eleocharis ovata has often been confused with E. obtusa, B. M. H. Larson and P. M. Catling (1996) showed that these species may be distinguished by non-overlapping widths of the tubercles, at least in Canada. The records of E. ovata in New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island are based on B. M. H. Larson and P. M. Catling (1996) and the records in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, Oregon, and Washington are based on D. M. Hines (1975). Eleocharis ovata probably also occurs in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Eleocharis atropurpurea has been reported from Colorado, Montana, and Virginia; I have not seen voucher specimens. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 23, p. 103. | FNA vol. 23, p. 102. |
Parent taxa | Cyperaceae > Eleocharis > subg. Eleocharis > sect. Eleogenus > ser. Ovatae | Cyperaceae > Eleocharis > subg. Eleocharis > sect. Eleogenus > ser. Maculosae |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Scirpus ovatus, E. obtusa var. ovata, E. ovata var. heuseri | Scirpus atropurpureus |
Name authority | (Roth) Roemer & Schultes: in J. J. Roemer et al., Syst. Veg. 2: 152. (1817) | (Retzius) J. Presl & C. Presl: in C. B. Presl, Reliq. Haenk. 1: 196. (1828) |
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