(L.) Roem. & Schult., Cyperaceae
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(L.) Roem. & Schult., Cyperaceae |
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Present on Pacific Islands? yes
Primarily a threat at high elevations? no
Common name(s): [more details]
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English: needle spike-rush, needle spikerush, needle spikesedge, slender spikerush |
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French: héléocharis aciculaire, scirpe épingle |
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Japanese: matsubai |
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Spanish: junco de espiga, pelillo |
Habit: sedge
Description: "A variable, tufted perennial sedge with small rhizomes that creep extensively, allowing the formation of mats or turf; rhizomes 0.3 to 0.6 mm thick; roots not fleshy; culms erect, slender, filiform, may be somewhat flattened, usually 4-angled with lengthwise grooves, smooth, 2 to 25 cm tall, 0.25 to 0.5 mm wide, in running water may be taller; leaf sheath thin, membranous, loose, summit may be subtruncate, reddish below, pallid or hyaline terminally; spikelets ovate to lanceolate, or may be linear, sometimes flattened, sessile, spirally arranged, usually 5 to 10 flowered but variable, about 3 to 3 mm long and 1 to 1.5 mm wide; glumes keeled or 1-nerved, oblong-ovate, midrib green, often with reddish or purplish sides, 1.5 to 2 mm long; bristles slender, up to 4, equaling or exceeding the length of the achene (nut), sometimes reduced or absent, stamens 2 or 3, anthers 0.5 to 1 mm long, style 3-parted; achene, obovate-oblong, obscurely trigonous or nearly round in cross section, up to 10 longitudinal ribs with valleys of horizontally elongate cells in a longitudinal series, 0.5 to 1 mm long, about 0.5 mm in diameter, weight 0.5 mg, apical tubercle minute, conic, skullcap-like, with bristles or lacking, color may be pearly white, yellow, pale gray or light brown" (Holm et al., 1997; p. 310).
Habitat/ecology: "Muddy river banks, vernal pools, lake shores and margins, marshes and shallow ponds and reservoirs, ditches, coastal lowlands and in deep or shallow water, depending on the season, stage of growth, wave action or competition. Can infest the margins of open water bodies initially, then spread inward as conditions permit and finally contribute to the swamp-marsh-building process. Grows very well in water of pH 2.8--a rare feat for spermatophytes. Often troublesome in coastal grazing lands and wet areas of meadows and pastures" (Holm et al., 1997; pp. 313, 315).
Propagation: Seed and rooting fragments of plants. Locally by rhizomes and stolons (Holm et al., 1997; p. 317).
Native range: Nearly cosmopolitan in wetlands (GRIN).
Presence:
| Pacific | |||
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Country/Terr./St. & Island group |
Location |
Cited status &
Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction? |
Reference &
Comments |
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Federated States of Micronesia
Yap Islands |
Yap (Waqab) Island |
native
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Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 69) |
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Kiribati
Tungaru (Gilbert) Islands |
Onotoa Atoll |
native
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Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 69) |
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Palau
Palau (main island group) |
Babeldaob Island |
native
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Raulerson, L./Rinehart, A. F./Falanruw, M. C. (1996) (p. 17) |
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Philippines
Philippine Islands |
Philippine Islands |
introduced
invasive |
Merrill, Elmer D. (1925) (p. 119)
About rice paddies, altitude 1,200 to 1,500 m. |
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Philippines
Philippine Islands |
Philippine Islands | Holm, Leroy/Doll, Jerry/Holm, Eric/Pancho, Jaun/Herberger, James (1997) (p. 314) | |
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Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands |
Solomon Islands | Holm, Leroy/Doll, Jerry/Holm, Eric/Pancho, Jaun/Herberger, James (1997) (p. 314) | |
Additional information:
Description and other information from the Flora of North America
Additional online information about Eleocharis acicularis is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).
Information about Eleocharis acicularis as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).
Taxonomic information about Eleocharis acicularis may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).
References:
Fosberg, F. R./Otobed, D./Sachet, M.-H./Oliver, R. L./Powell, D. A./Canfield, J. E. 1980. Vascular plants of Palau with vernacular names. Department of Botany, The Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 43 pp.
Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce. 1987. A geographical checklist of the Micronesian monocotyledonae. Micronesica 20:1-126.
Hafliger, E. 1092. Monocot Weeds 3. CIBA-GEIGY Ltd., Basle, Switzerland. 132 pp. plus plates.
Holm, Leroy/Doll, Jerry/Holm, Eric/Pancho, Jaun/Herberger, James. 1997. World weeds: natural histories and distribution. John Wiley & Sons. 1129 pp.
Merrill, Elmer D. 1925. An enumeration of Philippine flowering plants, vol. 1 [reprint]. Bureau of Printing, Manila. 463 pp.
Raulerson, L./Rinehart, A. F./Falanruw, M. C. 1996. A botanical reconnaissance of the proposed Compact-impact road alignment on Babeldaob Island, Republic of Palau. U. of Guam Herbarium Cont. No. 32. 78 pp.
U. S. Government. 2011. Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) (on-line resource).
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2011. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.
Wu, Te-lin. 2001. Check List of Hong Kong Plants. Hong Kong Herbarium and the South China Institute of Botany. Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department Bulletin 1 (revised). 384 pp.