Eleocharis elliptica Kunth
Slender spike-rush (elliptic spikerush; elliptic spike-rush)
Cyperaceae (Sedge family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Slender spike-rush (elliptic spikerush; elliptic spike-rush)
Cyperaceae (Sedge family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Species Information
General:
Perennial, tufted herb from thick, creeping rhizomes; stems slender, scattered or loosely clustered, 6- to 8-angled with a vascular bundle under each angle, 5-40 cm tall.
Leaves:
Sheaths conspicuously reddish-purple toward the bases, blunt-tipped; blades lacking.
Flowers:
Spikes solitary, terminal, egg-shaped, 3-10 mm long, 10- to 30-flowered.
Fruits:
Outermost scale relatively large and broad, globe-shaped, usually with firm, often greenish areas toward the bases on the midribs, the other scales narrower, usually 2-3 mm long, mostly dark except for the pale, translucent tips, the lowest scale usually
Illustration
If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.
Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia
Ecology
Ecological Framework for Eleocharis elliptica
The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)
The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)
| Site Information |
Value / Class |
||
|
Avg |
Min |
Max |
|
| Elevation
(metres) |
871 | 765 | 1000 |
| Slope
Gradient (%) |
0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Aspect (degrees) |
180 | 180 | 180 |
| Soil
Moisture Regime (SMR) [0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic; 8 - hydric] |
7 | 7 | 8 |
| Modal
Nutrient Regime
Class |
D | ||
| #
of field plots species was recorded in: |
3 | ||
| Modal
BEC Zone Class |
IDF | ||
|
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in |
ICH(1), IDF(1), PP(1) | ||
|
Source:
Klinkenberg 2013
|
|||
Habitat and Range
Lakeshores, streamsides and wet meadows in the steppe and montane zones; rare in S BC east of the Coast-Cascade Mountains and N of 50degreeN; N to SW AK, E to NF and S to ME, MA, NC, GA, MS, TX, NM, ID and WA.Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Eleocharis capitata var. borealis Svens.
Eleocharis compressa var. borealis (Svens.) Drapalik & Mohlenbr.
Eleocharis elliptica var. compressa
Eleocharis elliptica var. elliptica
Eleocharis tenuis var. borealis (Svens.) Gleason