Eriocaulon parkeri
Eriocaulon compressum
estuary pipewort, Parker's pipewort, ériocaulon de Parker
flattened pipewort
linear-attenuate, 2–6(–9) cm, apex filiform-terete.
linear-attenuate, 5–30 cm, apex subulate.
scape sheaths slightly longer or slightly shorter than leaves, loose;
scapes linear, 0.5–1 mm wide, 4–5-ribbed;
mature heads dull gray or lead-colored, rarely straw-colored, hemispheric to subglobose, 3–4 mm wide, mostly nearly glabrous;
receptacle glabrous;
outer involucral bracts usually not reflexed, not obscured by braceteoles and perianth, straw-colored, greenish, or light gray to gray, dull, ovate to suborbiculate or obovate, 2 mm, margins often erose or lacerate, apex blunt, glabrous;
inner bracts, receptacular bracteoles grayish, cuneate to narrowly obovate, 2 mm, margins often erose or lacerate, apex obtuse, glabrous or with a few white hairs abaxially at apex.
scape sheaths mostly longer than principal leaves, loose;
scapes linear, 1–3 mm wide, multiribbed (ribs lacunar);
heads chalk white except for dark gray or near black exserted tips of receptacular bracts, anthers, hemispheric to subglobose, 10–20 mm wide, soft, much flattened when pressed;
receptacle pilose;
involucral bracts frequently squarrose, later obscured by mature bracteoles and flowers, gray, broadly ovate to oblong or elliptic, 2–3 mm, margins entire, apex rounded or obtuse, glabrous;
inner bracts, receptacular bracteoles dark gray, spatulate-linear to oblong, 2–3 mm, margins entire, apex acute with white, club-shaped hairs.
sepals 2, gray, linear to oblong or oblanceolate, 2 mm, apex obtuse, glabrous or with a few white hairs abaxially at apex;
androphore club-shaped;
petals 2, triangular, minute, white-hairy;
stamens 4;
anthers black.
sepals 2, pale or with dark apex, linear or linear-spatulate, 2–4 mm, apex acute to blunt with mealy white, club-shaped hairs;
androphore broadly club-shaped;
petals 2, pale, oblong, conspicuously unequal, larger lobe apically fringed with pale, club-shaped hairs, smaller lobe glabrous or with a few hairs at apex;
stamens 3–4(–6);
anthers black.
sepals 2, gray, oblong or oblanceolate, 2 mm, scarious, apex obtuse, abaxially hairy apically;
petals 2, yellow-white, spatulate, 2 mm, apex obtuse, glabrous or with a few white, club-shaped hairs apically, adaxially;
pistil 2-carpellate.
sepals 2, dark at apex, oblong-spatulate, 2.5–3 mm, abaxially with mealy white, club-shaped hairs, adaxially with translucent hairs;
petals 2, pale, oblong-spatulate, apex acute, abaxially with mealy white, club-shaped hairs, adaxially with translucent hairs;
pistil 2-carpellate.
red-brown, ovoid to broadly ellipsoid, 0.5(–7) mm, with delicate reticulum of horizontally oriented alveolae.
dark lustrous brown, broadly ovoid to near round but asymmetric, 0.5 mm, mostly minutely spiny-papillate.
Eriocaulon parkeri
Eriocaulon compressum
A considerable amount of transitional material occurs between Eriocaulon parkeri and E. aquaticum at places along coastal streams where brackish habitat meets more acid habitat upstream.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Eriocaulon compressum is polymorphic in habit. Male flowers vary considerably in length and degree of connation, and female flowers are often sterile. Of the southeastern coastal plain species this and the similar, but proportionately smaller, E. lineare, are the most aquatic, the former most common around clay-based ponds, the latter around karst ponds. Unlike the more northern E. aquaticum, these two species seldom frequent the shallows of flowing streams.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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