Eleocharis bicolor
Fl. South. U.S., 517. 1860.
Plants probably perennial, tufted, not stoloniferous; rhizomes present, ± horizontal, 0.2–0.4 mm thick, firm, longer internodes 3–7 mm, scales translucent or not. Culms often ascending, often spotted or streaked-redbrown, cross-section quadrangular or broadly elliptic, often sulcate, 1.5–8 (–25) cm × 0.1–0.3 mm, soft. Leaves: distal leaf-sheaths persistent or fugaceous, closely sheathing, not conspicuously wrinkled, colorless or pale-brown, sometimes spotted redbrown, delicately membranous, apex narrowly acute. Spikelets: basal spikelets absent; never proliferous, ovoid or ellipsoid, laterally compressed or terete, 1.5–3.7 × 0.8–3 mm, apex acute; proximal scale empty, persistent, amplexicaulous, similar to floral scales; subproximal scale with a flower; floral scales distichous (spirodistichous), 8–22, 6–10 per mm of rachilla, colorless or pale-brown, mottled-redbrown to purple, ovate, (1–) 2 × 1 mm, membranous, midribs green and redbrown, prominent, apex rounded to obtuse. Flowers: perianth bristles present or absent, (1–) 4, colorless to white, vestigial to shorter than achene, 0–0.55 mm; spinules not evident at 45X; stamens (1–) 3; anthers 0.35–0.45 mm; styles 2-fid (or 3-fid). Achenes whitish to pale-brown, obovoid, biconvex, rarely trigonous, angles prominent, 0.5–0.8 × 0.4–0.6 mm, apex slightly constricted proximal to tubercle, smooth. Tubercles sessile, green or redbrown, pyramidal, birettaform or umbonate, 0.15–0.25 × 0.3–0.4 mm.
Phenology: Fruiting summer–late fall.
Habitat: Moist banks, freshwater, damp pine barrens
Elevation: 0–50 m
Distribution
Fla., Ga., Miss., West Indies, Central America (Nicaragua)
Discussion
Of conservation concern.
The culms of Eleocharis bicolor sometimes have complete transverse septa which are prominent when plants are aquatic.
Selected References
None.
Lower Taxa
"shortened" is not a number.