Ecology
Fresh temporary or artificial ponds, ditches, burned savannas, swamp margins
Family
CYPERACEAE L. (sedge family)
Flowering period
Mostly April through November.
Flowers
Perianth bristles 6–8, pale brown, medium stout, from less than 1/2 achene length to sometimes slightly extending beyond tubercle base, retrorsely spinulose; stamens 1; anthers dark yellow to brown, 0.6–1 mm; styles 2-fid (+3-fid).
Fruit
Achenes falling with scales, dark green or medium brown, obovoid to obpyriform, biconvex or sometimes compressed trigonous in same spikelet, lateral angles prominent, abaxial angle not prominent, 0.8–1.1 × 0.7–0.8 mm; neck short or absent, finely cancellate, sometimes finely rugulose, with 15 horizontal ridges in vertical series; tubercles brown, pyramidal, 0.2-0.35 x 0.2-0.4 mm.
Habit and Stem
Plants perennial, densely tufted or mat-forming; rhizomes mostly hidden by long culms and roots, 3 mm thick, hard, cortex persistent, scales persistent, membranous, slightly fibrous.
Culms terete, 10–70 cm × 0.5–2 mm, soft to firm, internally hollow with complete transverse septa 2–5 mm apart.
Habit and stem features
Plants perennial, densely tufted or mat-forming; rhizomes mostly hidden by long culms and roots, 3 mm thick, hard, cortex persistent, scales persistent, membranous, slightly fibrous.
Culms terete, 10–70 cm × 0.5–2 mm, soft to firm, internally hollow with complete transverse septa 2–5 mm apart.
Leaves
Distal leaf sheaths persistent, not splitting, proximally dark red, distally green or brown, slightly callose, papery, apex obtuse, tooth present, 0.3–1 mm.
References
Correll, D. S. and M. C. Johnston. 1970. Manual of the Vascular Plants of
International Plant Names Index (2004). Published on the internet http://www.ipni.org [accessed 1 March 2004]*.
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland, Second edition, Volume I-checklist.
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 Louisiana. vol. I: Ferns & Fern Allies, Conifers, & Monocots. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries & the Nature Conservancy, Louisiana Field Office.
USDA, NRCS. 2004. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.5 (http://plants.usda.gov). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA
Species name
Eleocharis montana (Kunth) Roemer & Schultes in J. J. Romer et al.,
Synonyms
Eleocharis montana var. nodulosa (Roth) Svens
Eleocharis nodulosa (Roth) J.A. Schultes