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. parishii Britton

Perennial 1–3 dm, not glaucous; rhizome long, reddish
Leaf purplish brown, becoming straw-colored above; tip truncate, 1-toothed
Inflorescence: spikelet 10–15 mm, much wider than stem, ± linear-lanceolate, generally 10–many-flowered, tip acute to acuminate; flower bract ± dark brown, tip short, translucent
Flower: style 3-branched
Fruit: perianth bristles 6–7, unequal, = or > fruit; body ± 1 mm, obovate, appearing 2-sided, yellowish to light brown, shiny; tubercle short, conic, base barely narrowed
Chromosomes: n=5
Ecology: Moist, often sandy openings
Elevation: generally < 2000 m.
Bioregional distribution: California (except Modoc Plateau)
Distribution outside California: to Oregon, Nevada, New Mexico, n Mexico
Flowering time: May–Sep
Synonyms: E. montevidensis vars. disciformis (Parish) V.E. Grant and p. (Britton) V.E. Grant
Horticultural information: TRY; GRCVR; also STBL.