Eriocaulon decangulare
Eriocaulon koernickianum
ten-angle pipewort
gulf pipewort
linear or linear-attenuate, abruptly, then gradually, narrowing, 10–40(–50) cm, apex acute or obtuse.
linear-attenuate, 2–5 cm, apex subulate to blunt.
scape sheaths shorter than principal leaves;
scapes linear, distally 1–2(–3) mm wide, multiribbed;
heads dull white, hemispheric to nearly globose, 7–15 mm wide, hard, very slightly flattened when pressed;
receptacle copiously hairy;
involucral bracts reflexed, obscured by reflexed proximal bracteoles and flowers, straw-colored, narrowly ovate to lanceolate, 2–4 mm, margins erose to entire, apex acute, glabrous or apex with white, club-shaped hairs;
inner bracts and receptacular bracteoles pale, linear to oblong or lanceolate, 3–4 mm, margins entire, sometimes becoming erose, apex narrowly acuminate, glabrous or apex with white, club-shaped hairs.
scape sheaths as long as leaves, inflated;
scapes filiform, 0.5 mm wide, 3–4-ribbed;
heads dark gray or gray-green with rims of bracts and perianth pale, nearly globose or short-oblong, 3–4 mm wide, soft;
receptacle glabrous;
outer involucral bracts usually not reflexed, not obscured by bracteoles and perianth, straw-colored, very lustrous, broadly oblong to suborbiculate, 1–1.25 mm, margins nearly entire, apex rounded, glabrous;
inner bracts, receptacular bracteoles dark gray, gray-green, or gray-brown, very lustrous, oblong to cuneate, obliquely keeled, 1.5 mm, margins slightly erose, apex acute to obtuse, apiculate, with a few white, club-shaped hairs.
sepals 2, yellow-white, linear, curved, 3 mm, distal surface abaxially, adaxially with white, club-shaped hairs;
androphore club-shaped;
petals 2, yellow-white, translucent, triangular to linear, nearly equal, with small tuft of white, club-shaped hairs abaxially at apex;
stamens 4;
anthers black.
sepals 2, grayish, linear-curvate, 1–1.5 mm, apex with a few white, club-shaped hairs abaxially, marginally;
androphore broadly club-shaped;
petals 2, low, toothlike, nearly equal, apex with club-shaped hairs;
stamens 4;
anthers black.
sepals 2, yellow-white, linear, 2–3 mm, apex acute, abaxially with white, club-shaped hairs at apex;
petals 2, pale, spatulate or narrowly elliptic, 1–2 mm, abaxially with translucent hairs proximally, white, club-shaped hairs distally, or adaxially glabrescent;
pistil 2-carpellate.
sepals 2, gray, linear-curvate, 1 mm, apex with scattered hairs abaxially, hairs pale, club-shaped, otherwise glabrous;
petals 2, yellow-white, stipitate, broadly suborbiculate-rhombic, 1 mm, apex with white, club-shaped hairs abaxially;
pistil 2-carpellate.
pale brown, ellipsoid, 0.75–1 mm, very finely cancellate or sometimes with cancellae concealed by rows of delicate nearly appressed hairs.
deep reddish brown, broadly ovoid or ellipsoid, 0.5 mm, often indistinctly reticulate or rugulose, papillate.
Eriocaulon decangulare
Eriocaulon koernickianum
A possible variety, Eriocaulon decangulare var. latifolium Chapman ex Moldenke [in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 19(1): 21. 1937], has yet to be thoroughly investigated. This plant typically is in the taller range and has thicker stems and scapes than in the type; it has very stiff blunt leaves to 50 cm × 13–20 mm with thicker scapes, heads 13–20 mm wide, and floral parts in the high range for the species. It occurs in wetter situations than usual for the species, and (fide R. R. Haynes, pers. comm.) flowers later. This morphology occurs in northwestern Florida and southern Alabama within boggy edges of cypress-titi-Nyssa on permanently wet substrates.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Eriocaulon koernickianum is the most diminutive of our eriocaulons, widely disjunct in Georgia but seemingly most abundant on Piedmont granites.
Of conservation concern.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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