– SEDGE FAMILY

Plant: annual or more commonly perennial Stem: stem (solid) is termed a culm, simple, mostly erect, often angled (mostly triangular) but some round or angled; some with or stolons Root: fibrous Leaves: mostly linear, alternate, parallel veins, often in 3 ranks (vertical rows), leaf sheath usually closed, leaf blade flat, folded, round or absent; a ligule is often present Flowers: small, 2-ranked or spiraled on a spike stalk in 1 or more spikelets in simple to complex , each flower in axil of a scale, the itself may be subtended by a leaf-like and sometimes showy ; perianth usually represented by 1-6 bristles, scales or are absent; perfect or imperfect (monoecious); 3 (1-6) stamens; 1 pistil, 1 style, ovary superior, 2-3 carpels, 1-chambered ovary Fruit: achene (lens-shaped to triangular in cross-section, achene enclosed in a sac – perigynium in the Carex genus) Other: often occurring in bogs, swamps, or meadows along streams, but also in dry areas and forests; Group Genera: 100+ genera; locally many genera 2 slides per species WARNING – family descriptions are only a layman’s guide and should not be used as definitive CYPERACEAE – GENUS (A-Z)

Flatstem Spike Rush; Eleocharis compressa Sull. var. compressa Bald Spike Rush; Eleocharis erythropoda Steud. Pale Spike Rush; Eleocharis macrostachya Britton Blunt Spike Rush; Eleocharis obtusa (Willd.) Schult. Common Spike Rush; Eleocharis palustris (L.) Roem. & Schult. Squarestem Spike Rush; Eleocharis quadrangulata (Michx.) Roem. & Schult. Flatstem Spike Rush - p1 USDA Eleocharis compressa Sull. var. compressa Cyperaceae (Sedge Family) Busiek State Forest and Wildlife Area, Christian County, Missouri Notes: perennial , height to 40+ cm; culm flattened (2-5X) and ribbed, rhizomes stout; roots fibrous; leaf sheaths often tinged purple, truncated; inflorescence composed of a terminal spikelet to about 8 mm; floret scales ovate to somewhat Culm flattened (~2 to 5X), often ribbed, leaf lanceolate with an acute tip; achene (fruit) light to dark brown sheath truncated at maturity, with fine dimples; tubercle triangular in shape, may be small and rudimentary- see photos on p2, stigmas usually 3; various damp to wet habitats (forests, glades, etc.); spring to summer [V Max Brown, 2015]

Stout rhizomes Flatstem Spike Rush - p2 Eleocharis compressa Sull. var. compressa [V Max Brown, 2015]

Inflorescence up to Tubercle small, about 8 cm long and often rudimentary, about 5 mm wide body of fruit finely dimpled (not heavily ribbed)

Floral scale (here abut 2 mm), reddish brown Fruit (achene) center, white about 1 mm margins and in this sample tips, acute tip (some may be bifid)

Mature Fruit (achenes)

Fruit with 2 anthers and mostly 3 styles Bald Spike Rush p1 USDA Eleocharis erythropoda Steud. Cyperaceae (Sedge Family) Lake Springfield, Greene County, Missouri Notes: plant perennial, culm to 80+ cm, mostly terete (round), somewhat ridged, with thin rhizomes; roots fibrous; leaf sheaths tinged with red to purple with an oblique sharp apex; inflorescence composed of a terminal spike to 18 mm, gives a somewhat lanceolate appearance, tip sharp to somewhat rounded; a single basal sterile scale present that wraps around the stem; (see photos on P1 and P2 for details of floral scales and achenes); damp to wet habitats on in shallow water; spring to early fall [V Max Brown, 2015]

Floral Scales – here about 2.6 mm tall (varies from 1.8 Single Basal Scale – to 3.5 mm), somewhat ovate, wraps around the rounded to slightly pointed, base of the spike midrib green to brown Bald Spike Rush - p2 Inflorescence spike here Eleocharis erythropoda Steud. is 14 mm tall, about 2.2+ [V Max Brown, 2015] mm wide (may vary up to 18 mm tall and up to 3+ mm wide)

Tubercle - here about 2 mm tall, pyramidal

Stamen

Achene – here about 1.9 mm tall, body only about 1.7 mm tall, biconvex to somewhat circular in shape, finely ridged vertically

Perianth Bristles – 4 to 6 present (or sometimes none), usually a little less in length to somewhat greater than the achene Pale Spike Rush p1 USDA Eleocharis macrostachya Britton Cyperaceae (Sedge Family) Ten Mile Pond, Mississippi County, Missouri Notes: perennial plant, height up to 100+ cm, often less; culm terete to often very flattened (up to 3 mm wide by 1 mm thick, usually with 25 ridges, rhizomes present; roots fibrous; leaf sheaths truncate with usually a small tooth or nipple, sheath persistent; inflorescence composed of terminal spikelet; spikelets to 40 mm tall, often lanceoloid; (see photos and descriptions of floret scales and achenes on p2); damp to wet habitats; spring to summer There are variants of this species (belongs to the E. palustris group, a difficult group to work with) [V Max Brown, 2016]

Culm terete to more often very flattened with 25 ridges

Sheath is truncated with a distinct small tooth Pale Spike Rush p2 Inflorescence – terminal spike, Eleocharis macrostachya Britton ovoid to mostly lanceoloid, to [V Max Brown, 2016] 40 mm, 30 to 80 floral scales

Body plus tubercle about 1.9 mm tall in this sample

Floral scales (here about 3.2 mm) varies from 2.5 to 5.5 mm), not bifid, brownish with green rib, hyaline border usually

Achenes – vary from 1.1 to 1.9 mm, tubercle varies from 0.3 to 0.7 mm, body mostly smooth, mostly 4 bristles that are about as long as body of achene Blunt Spike Rush p1 USDA Eleocharis obtusa (Willd.) Schult. Cyperaceae (Sedge Family) Wire Road Conservation Area, Stone County, Missouri Notes: medium height plant, height to 50+ cm (to 90 cm); culm terete, somewhat ridged; roots fibrous, annual to perennial; leaf sheaths tinged purple with an oblique apex and and 0.2 to 0.3 mm tooth; inflorescence composed of terminal spikelet to 13 mm, gives an ovoid appearance; basal sterile scales present; floret scales ovate to somewhat lanceolate with a rounded tip; achene (fruit) light to dark brown at maturity, mostly smooth; tubercle triangular in shape, very wide- see photos on p2, stigmas 2 or 3 in same spikelet; damp to wet habitats; spring to early fall [V Max Brown, 2014] Leaf sheaths purplish toward base, the top or apex is oblique with a 0.2 to 0.3 mm tooth Blunt Spike Rush p2 Inflorescence elliptical to Eleocharis obtusa (Willd.) Schult. lanceolate giving a rough [V Max Brown, 2014] ovoid appearance, up to 1.3 mm in length

Tubercles pyramidal in shape, usually wider than high (may be almost as wide as achene) and varies from 0.3 to 0.5x of total height of achene + tubercle; usually 6 to 7 perianth bristles (7 in this sample) that surpass the tubercle, styles often 2 but may be 3

2 or 3 green, sterile, 1.5 mm sharp pointed, basal in this Scale (above) spikelet scales are sample greenish turning present - bases do not brownish, ovate with wrap around culm a rounded apex – with a green median (usually not keeled) and clear margins Achene or Fruit 2 or 3 sided, yellowish- brown at maturity, mostly smooth Common Spike Rush p1 USDA Eleocharis palustris (L.) Roem. & Schult. Cyperaceae (Sedge Family) Near Heber Springs, Cleburne County, Arkansas Notes: medium height plant, height to 100+ cm, often less; culm terete, somewhat ridged; roots fibrous, perennial, rhizomes present; inflorescence composed of terminal spikelet; spikelets to 7-8+ mm, 2 to 3 basal sterile scales (acute tips); floret scales ovate to lanceolate with acute tip; achene (fruit) light to dark brown, mostly smooth; tubercle triangular in shape, 1 to 2x higher than wide - see photos on p2; damp to wet habitats; spring to early fall [V Max Brown, 2014] Common Spike Rush - p2 spikelet Eleocharis palustris (L.) Roem. & Schult. Scale (on left below) [V Max Brown, 2014] ovate to lanceolate with a sharp or acute point – often brown in color Tubercles pyramidal in shape, may be as high as wide to twice as high as scales wide

Bristles of perianth (usually 4 to 6 in number) are about as long or slightly longer than fruit plus tubercle Fruit yellowish-brown, somewhat smooth to finely roughened, usually shiny, obovate, without neck

1.9 mm in this sample

2 or 3 green, sterile, sharp pointed, basal spikelet scales are present - bases do not wrap around culm Common Spike Rush - p3 Eleocharis palustris (L.) Roem. & Schult. [V Max Brown, 2014]

Another example of E. palustris (this species is quite variable)

Tubercles here about as long as wide

Leaf sheaths often tinged with red or brown, no tooth USDA Squarestem Spike Rush - p1 Eleocharis quadrangulata (Michx.) Roem. & Schult. Cyperaceae (Sedge Family) Sims Valley Lake, Howell County, Missouri Notes: medium to tall plant, perennial, height to 120+ cm; culm acutely 4-sided, internal spongy material with incomplete septa, rhizomes present; roots fibrous; leaf sheaths tinged brown at base, tip often a sharp point (leaves mostly basal); inflorescence composed of a terminal spike, about as thick as culm; see photos and descriptions on p2 for spikelet, scale and achene morphology; margins of ponds and muddy areas, often emergent but usually not in deep water; Summer to Fall [V Max Brown, 2015]

Culm cross-section (badly squashed), sides usually concave Squarestem Spike Rush – p2 Spikelet – 1 spikelet, 2 to Eleocharis quadrangulata (Michx.) Roem. & Schult. 8 cm tall, about as wide as culm, up to 40+ florets [V Max Brown, 2015]

Scales – oblong-elliptical, apex rounded, to 6+ mm, usually pale straw to yellow colored

Tubercle triangular to lanceolate; up to 1.5 mm, usually 3 stigmas

Achene – about 2 to 3 mm, here about 2 mm tall, yellowish to brown to purple, biconvex, smooth to finely sculptured, 6 to 7 whitish bristles of varying length