Ecology
Usually in fresh to slightly alkaline or brackish mud or shores, stream beds, swales, vernal pools, pastures, ditches, and artificial ponds.
Family
CYPERACEAE Juss. (sedge family)
Flowering period
Mostly spring through summer, sometimes in the fall.
Flowers
Perianth bristles 4-8, sometimes absent, brown to stramineous, much shorter than achene or equaling tubercle; stamens 3; anthers dark yellow, 1.3-2.7 mm; styles 2-branched.
Fruit
Achene 1.2 -1.8 mm, yellow to yellow brown obovate to pyriform, biconvex, lustrous; tubercles not persistent, 0.3-0.7 mm, pyramidal, brownish to whitish not contiguous achene.
Habit and Stem
Perennial; mat forming rhizome, long, 1-2 mm, thick, firm; culms in tufts, slightly compressed, 3x wider than thick, internally spongy, blunt ridges upon drying. Stem erect, green at distal end, red at proximal end.
Habit and stem features
Perennial; mat forming rhizome, long, 1-2 mm, thick, firm; culms in tufts, slightly compressed, 3x wider than thick, internally spongy, blunt ridges upon drying. Stem erect, green at distal end, red at proximal end.
Leaves
Leaf sheaths persistent, tight, apex truncate to slightly oblique or obtuse, papery to membranous.
References
Correll, D. S. and M. C. Johnston. 1970. Manual of the Vascular Plants of
Smith, S. G., J. J. Bruhl, M. S. González-Elizondo, & F. J. Menapace. 2002. Eleocharis in Cyperaceae. Vol. 23. Flora of
Thomas, R. D. and C. M. Allen. 1993. Atlas of the Vascular Flora of
USDA, NRCS. 2004. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.5 (http://plants.usda.gov). National Plant Data Center,
Species name
Eleocharis macrostachya. Britton in Small Fl. S.E. U.S. 184, 1327. 1903
Synonyms
Eleocharis palustris (L.), Eleocharis calva Torr. var. australis, Eleocharis mamillata, Eleocharis palustris (L.) var. australis, Eleocharis palustris (L.) var. major, Eleocharis palustris (L.) var. vigens, Eleocharis perlonga, Eleocharis smallii, Eleocharis smallii var. major, Eleocharis xyridiformis.
Cyperaceae, Eleocharis, macrostachya