Eriocaulon parkeri
Eriocaulon decangulare
estuary pipewort, Parker's pipewort, ériocaulon de Parker
ten-angle pipewort
linear-attenuate, 2–6(–9) cm, apex filiform-terete.
linear or linear-attenuate, abruptly, then gradually, narrowing, 10–40(–50) cm, apex acute or obtuse.
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 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.
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, 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, 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, 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.
red-brown, ovoid to broadly ellipsoid, 0.5(–7) mm, with delicate reticulum of horizontally oriented alveolae.
pale brown, ellipsoid, 0.75–1 mm, very finely cancellate or sometimes with cancellae concealed by rows of delicate nearly appressed hairs.
Eriocaulon parkeri
Eriocaulon decangulare
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.)
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.)
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