Habit: Annual, perennial herb, generally forming mats, glabrous, internal air cavities evident; caudex generally 0; rhizomes generally evident, long, scaly, bulb or tuber at tip generally 0.
Stem: simple, generally erect, smooth, generally not hollow; tip generally not rooting.
Leaf: 2, basal, blades 0 or tooth-like, <= 1 mm.
Inflorescence: inflorescence bracts 0; spikelet terminal, 1, generally ovate, not +- flat [(+- flat)], generally not forming plantlets, flowers 3--100+; flower bracts spiraled [(2-ranked)], each with 1 flower in axil, generally ovate, generally brown, generally membranous, smooth, tip generally acute to obtuse, notch 0; basal flower bract generally encircling stem, generally < 1/2 spikelet, flower generally 0.
Flower: bisexual; perianth parts reduced to bristles, 0--8, generally +- <= fruit, barbs generally recurved; stamens generally 3; style 1, thread-like, base enlarged, generally persistent on fruit as tubercle.
Fruit: generally obovate, generally brown; tubercle (0 or) generally distinct, generally pyramidal.
Ecology: Wetland obligates.
Species In Genus: +- 200 species: tropics to boreal.
Etymology: (Greek heleios, dwelling in a marsh, and Charis, grace)
Note: Eleocharis lanceolata Fernald,
Eleocharis equisetoides Torr. not in California.
Jepson eFlora Author: S. Galen Smith
Reference: Smith et al. 2002 FNANM 23:60--120
Index of California Plant Names (ICPN; linked via the Jepson Online Interchange)Key to Eleocharis
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