Eleocharis montevidensis

sand spikerush
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
(unranked): Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Cyperaceae
Genus: Eleocharis
Species: E. montevidensis
Binomial name
Eleocharis montevidensis
Kunth
Synonyms[1]
  • Limnochloa montevidensis (Kunth) Nees
  • Scirpus montevidensis (Kunth) Kuntze
  • Eleocharis montana subsp. montevidensis (Kunth) Osten
  • Eleocharis arenicola Torr. ex Engelm. & A.Gray
  • Scirpus arenicola (Torr. ex Engelm. & A.Gray) Kuntze
  • Trichophyllum arenicola (Torr. ex Engelm. & A.Gray) House
  • Eleocharis palmeri Svenson
  • Eleocharis montevidensis f. angustior S.González & McVaugh

Eleocharis montevidensis is a species of spikesedge known by the common name sand spikerush. It is a widespread coastal plant native to the Americas. It grows in moist, sandy spots in many habitat types, including lakes, riverbanks, wet meadows, and springs. It has a disjunct distribution, in North America (southern United States from California to the Carolinas, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras) and South America (Brazil, Peru, Argentina, Uruguay).[1][2]

Description

Eleocharis montevidensis is a rhizomatous perennial herb forming tufts or mats of erect, firm stems up to half a meter tall. The narrow grasslike leaves are dark purplish or reddish brown at the bases, becoming lighter in color toward the tips, and drying to a thin, papery texture. The inflorescence is an oval-shaped spikelet appearing at the tip of the stem. It is under a centimeter long and made up of several flowers covered in brownish bracts.[3]

Eleocharis montevidensis have often been called either E. montana or E. palmeri in some North American publications.[3]

Cultivation

It is sometimes cultivated as an aquatic plant for water gardens.

References

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/6/2014. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.