CYPERACEAE

SEDGE FAMILY

Raymond Cranfill, except as specified

Annual or perennial herb, often rhizomed, often of wet open places, generally monoecious; roots fibrous, hairy
Stem generally 3-sided
Leaves often 3-ranked; sheath generally closed; ligule generally 0; blade (0) various, parallel-veined
Inflorescence: spikelets variously clustered; flowers generally sessile in axil of flower bract
Flower small, generally wind-pollinated; perianth 0 or bristle-like; stamens generally 3, anthers attached at base, 4-chambered; ovary superior, 1-chambered, 1-ovuled, style 2–3-branched
Fruit: achene, generally 3-sided
Genera in family: ± 110 genera, 3600 species: worldwide, especially temp
Reference: [Tucker 1987 J Arnold Arbor 68:361–445]
Difficult: taxa differ in technical characters of inflorescence and fruit.

ELEOCHARIS

SPIKERUSH

Annual or perennial herb
Stem generally round, ridged and grooved, generally solid
Leaves basal, 1(–4); base sheathing; blade generally 0
Inflorescence: spikelet solitary, terminal, erect; spikelet bract 0; flower bracts generally spiraled
Flowers bisexual; perianth bristles 0–6, persistent, barbs generally recurved; stamens (1–)3; style 2–3-branched, base bulb-like, persistent
Fruit 2–3-sided or round; top tubercled
Species in genus: ± 250 species: worldwide
Etymology: (Greek: marsh grace)
St shape best seen in fresh material (or just below spikelet); drying exaggerates ridges and grooves.

Native

E. bolanderi A. Gray

Perennial 1–3 dm, short-rhizomed, ± glaucous
Leaf: base purplish, loosely sheathing upward, becoming straw-colored, spotted purple; tip truncate, often 1-toothed
Inflorescence: spikelet 3–8 mm, wider than stem, elliptic to ovate, 10–many-flowered; flower bracts dark purplish brown, often with a short, scarious tips, lowest nearly round, margins wide, membranous
Flower: style 3-branched
Fruit: perianth bristles 3–4, 1/2–3/4 fruit; body ± 1.5 mm, obovate, weakly 3-sided, 3-ridged, yellowish brown; tubercle flat, tip with small point
Ecology: Meadows, openings
Elevation: 1000–2000 m.
Bioregional distribution: Sierra Nevada, Warner Mountains
Distribution outside California: to Idaho
Synonyms: E. montevidensis var. b. (A. Gray) V.E. Grant
Horticultural information: TRY.