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. macrostachya Britton

Perennial 5–10 dm, rhizomed
Leaf loosely sheathing, base purplish, becoming straw-colored above; tip truncate, often 1-toothed
Inflorescence: spikelet 5–25 mm, not much wider than stem, generally 10–many-flowered, elongate, tip acute; flower bract lanceolate-acute, brown to purplish
Flower: style 2-branched
Fruit: perianth bristles unequal, < to > fruit body; body ± 1.5–2.5 mm, obovate, strongly 2-sided, yellowish brown; tubercle ± conic, base narrowed
Chromosomes: n=5,8,16,18,19,21,23
Ecology: Marshes, pond margins, vernal pools, ditches
Elevation: < 2500 m.
Bioregional distribution: California
Distribution outside California: temperate, montane w hemisphere
Synonyms: E. palustris (L.) Roem. & Schult., in part
Complex, polyploid, needs study
Horticultural information: TRY; also STBL.