Eleocharis ovata |
Eleocharis cylindrica |
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ovate spike-rush, ovoid spike-rush, ovoid spikesedge, éléocharide ovale |
cylinder spikerush |
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Habit | Plants perennial; rhizomes evident, 1 mm thick, firm, cortex unknown, internodes unknown, scales fugacious, 5 mm, membranous. | |
Culms | 2–35 cm × 0.3–1 mm. |
terete, often with a few blunt ridges when dry, 20–50 cm × 0.2–0.7 mm, soft, spongy. |
Leaves | apex of distal leaf sheath obtuse to acute, tooth to 0.2 mm. |
distal leaf sheaths persistent, not splitting, proximally red or stramineous, distally green, membranous, apex usually reddish, subtruncate to obtuse, not callose, tooth present, to 0.4 mm. |
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. |
narrowly lanceoloid, narrowly ovoid, or narrowly cylindric, 4–10 × 1–1.5 mm, apex narrowly acute; proximal scale amplexicaulous or clasping 3/4 of culm, entire; subproximal scale empty or with flower; floral scales spreading in fruit, 20–80, 5–6 per mm of rachilla, orange-brown, midrib regions stramineous, narrowly ovate-lanceolate, 1.5–2 × 0.8 mm, entire, apex acute, not carinate. |
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 3–6, stramineous, stout, unequal, rudimentary to less than 1/2 achene length; stamens 3; anthers stramineous, 0.7–1.4 mm; styles 3-fid. |
Achenes | 0.75–1 × 0.6–0.85 mm. |
falling with scales, stramineous, ellipsoid, compressed-trigonous, angles prominent (keeled), 0.6–0.65 × 0.4–0.45 mm, base narrowed, neck long, 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. |
brown, pyramidal, as high as wide to greatly depressed, 0.1–0.25 × 0.15–0.2 mm. |
2n | = 10. |
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Eleocharis ovata |
Eleocharis cylindrica |
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Phenology | Fruiting summer–fall. | Fruiting spring–summer. |
Habitat | Fresh, often drying shores, lake and stream beds, bogs, tidal estuaries, disturbed places | Ephemeral pools in old rock quarry |
Elevation | 10–700 m (East), 1500–2000 m (Arizona) (0–2300 ft (East), 4900–6600 ft (Arizona)) | 300 m (1000 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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TX; South America (Argentina, Paraguay) |
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 cylindrica is synonymous with E. spegazzinii Barros, which was described from temperate South America (E. R. Guaglianone and O. Ueno 1990). It is very uncommon in North America, where it has been confirmed from Aransas, Burnet, and Cameron counties in Texas; reports from Lubbock and Presidio counties have not been confirmed. The report from New Mexico cannot be confirmed because the specimens lack achenes. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 23, p. 103. | FNA vol. 23, p. 81. |
Parent taxa | Cyperaceae > Eleocharis > subg. Eleocharis > sect. Eleogenus > ser. Ovatae | Cyperaceae > Eleocharis > subg. Eleocharis > sect. Eleocharis > ser. Eleocharis |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Scirpus ovatus, E. obtusa var. ovata, E. ovata var. heuseri | E. texana |
Name authority | (Roth) Roemer & Schultes: in J. J. Roemer et al., Syst. Veg. 2: 152. (1817) | Buckley: Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 14: 10. (1863) |
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