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. montevidensis Kunth

Perennial 1–5 dm; rhizome long, reddish
Stem not glaucous
Leaf purplish brown, becoming straw-colored above; tip truncate, 1-toothed
Inflorescence: spikelet 3–8 mm, ± as wide as stem, oblong to ovate, generally 10–many-flowered, tip obtuse to acute; flower bract brownish to yellowish, margin translucent, tip obtuse
Flower: style 3-branched
Fruit: perianth bristles 2–6, generally < fruit; body ± 1 mm, obovate, weakly 3-sided, yellowish brown, shiny; tubercle short, conic, base slightly narrowed
Ecology: Moist, often sandy openings
Elevation: < 1000 m.
Bioregional distribution: Northwestern California, Central Western California, Southwestern California
Distribution outside California: to Texas, S.America
Synonyms: var. decumbens (C.B. Clarke) V.E. Grant
Reportedly intergrades with E. parishii
Horticultural information: IRR or WET: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24; GRCVR; also STBL.