Eleocharis quinqueflora

(Hartmann) O. Schwarz

Mitt. Thüring. Bot. Ges. 1: 89. 1949.

Common names: Few-flowered spike-rush éléocharide à cinq fleurs
Illustrated
Basionym: Scirpus quinqueflorus Hartmann Primae Lin. Inst. Bot. ed. 2, 85. 1767
Synonyms: E. fernaldii (Svenson) Á. Löve E. pauciflora (Lightfoot) Link E. pauciflora var. fernaldii Svenson E. quinqueflora subsp. fernaldii (Svenson) Hultén
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 23. Treatment on page 114. Mentioned on page 61, 112, 113, 115.

Plants perennial; rhizomes 0.2–1 mm thick, scales persistent or fugaceous, 2–4 (–7) mm, thinly membranous, not fibrous; resting buds often present on rhizomes or among culm bases, broadly to narrowly ovoid, 3–6 (–10) × 2–5 mm; caudices absent, rarely present, soft or rarely hard, 0.5 mm thick. Culms erect, not spirally twisted, not contracted near spikelet, when dry usually with several blunt to acute ridges and sulcate, subterete to slightly compressed, to 2 times wider than thick, 5–35 cm × 0.2–0.5 (–1.2) mm, soft to hard; culm tufts often proximally bulbous (if bulbous then tunicated by papery-fibrous scales). Leaves: distal leaf-sheaths stramineous to brown or reddish proximally, green to stramineous or brown distally, membranous to papery, apex often reddish, subtruncate to acute. Spikelets 3–8 × 1.5–4 mm; proximal scale with a flower, seldom empty, 2–5 mm, 1/2 or more as long as spikelet; floral scales 3–10 per spikelet, 2.5–6 × 1.5–2.5 mm. Flowers: perianth bristles (0–) 3–6, often unequal, rudimentary to equaling tubercle, stout to slender, spinules dense to apparently absent; anthers 1.5–2.7 (–3.5) mm. Achenes stramineous to medium brown or graybrown, equilaterally trigonous to compressedtrigonous, rarely some biconvex, obpyriform (to obovoid), 1.6–2.3 × 0.7–1.3 mm, beak variable. Tubercles rarely absent, 0.3–0.4 × 0.2–0.3 mm.


Phenology: Fruiting (spring–)summer.
Habitat: Fens, wet meadows, seeps, springs, hot springs
Elevation: 0–3600 m

Distribution

V23 172-distribution-map.jpg

Greenland, Alta., B.C., Man., N.B., Nfld. and Labr., N.W.T., N.S., Ont., P.E.I., Que., Sask., Yukon, Alaska, Ariz., Calif., Colo., Idaho, Ill., Ind., Iowa, Maine, Mass., Mich., Minn., Mont., Nebr., Nev., N.H., N.J., N.Mex., N.Y., Ohio, Oreg., Pa., Utah, Vt., Wash., Wis., Wyo., Eurasia

Discussion

The chromosome numbers for Eleocharis quinqueflora reported for North America (2n = 80) are in doubt because vouchers and other information are lacking. The often-cited n = 10 is probably erroneous. S.-O. Strandhede and R. M. T. Dahlgren (1968) gave 2n = 132 and 134 from Scandinavia. Recognition of infraspecific taxa within E. quinqueflora is premature pending a worldwide revision of subg. Zinserlingia. It has been reported from North Dakota, although I have not seen specimens. About five varieties and subspecies of E. quinqueflora have been described worldwide.

Most specimens from eastern North America and some from the West can be placed in Eleocharis quinqueflora subsp. fernaldii (Svenson) Hultén, which is characterized by its small size (culms to 15 cm × 0.5 mm) and small bulbs. Specimens of E. quinqueflora from 2000–3600 m in California, which are atypical, especially in that the proximal scales of the spikelets do not subtend flowers, may deserve taxonomic recognition. Those plants are also small, with culms only to 15 cm × 0.5 mm; hard caudices are often present at the culm-tuft bases; small, narrowly ovoid bulbs are sometimes present; and perianth bristles are absent or rudimentary. Very few specimens of E. quinqueflora are intermediate with E. suksdorfiana.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"shortened" is not a number.

... more about "Eleocharis quinqueflora"
graybrown +, stramineous +  and medium brown +
0.16 cm1.6 mm <br />0.0016 m <br /> (0.23 cm2.3 mm <br />0.0023 m <br />) +
obpyriform;biconvex;trigonous +
0.7mm;1.3mm +
0.27 cm2.7 mm <br />0.0027 m <br /> (0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br />) +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.27 cm2.7 mm <br />0.0027 m <br />) +
subtruncate;acute +
S. Galen Smith* +, Jeremy J. Bruhl* +, M. Socorro González-Elizondo* +  and Francis J. Menapace* +
(Hartmann) O. Schwarz +
flattened +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br />) +
persistent +
enlarged +
Scirpus quinqueflorus +
distinct +
glumaceous +  and foliaceous +
2-ranked +  and arranged +
ascending +  and appressed +
hard +  and soft +
parallel +  and divergent +
terete +, rolled +  and plicate +
Few-flowered spike-rush +  and éléocharide à cinq fleurs +
0.12 cm1.2 mm <br />0.0012 m <br /> (0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br />) +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br />) +
compressed +, 3-5-angled +  and terete +
0.3mm;1.2mm +
stramineous +  and brown or reddish proximally +
Greenland +, Alta. +, B.C. +, Man. +, N.B. +, Nfld. and Labr. +, N.W.T. +, N.S. +, Ont. +, P.E.I. +, Que. +, Sask. +, Yukon +, Alaska +, Ariz. +, Calif. +, Colo. +, Idaho +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Iowa +, Maine +, Mass. +, Mich. +, Minn. +, Mont. +, Nebr. +, Nev. +, N.H. +, N.J. +, N.Mex. +, N.Y. +, Ohio +, Oreg. +, Pa. +, Utah +, Vt. +, Wash. +, Wis. +, Wyo. +  and Eurasia +
0–3600 m +
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br />) +
subtending +
biconvex +  and trigonous +
Fens, wet meadows, seeps, springs, hot springs +
multi-ranked +, 2-ranked +, 3-ranked +  and alternate +
flattened +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br />) +
with (1-)3-6(-30) bristles and/or scales +
Fruiting (spring–)summer. +
2-3(-4)-carpellate +
3 (?) +  and 1 (?) +
stramineous;medium brown or red brown or blackish brown +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
Mitt. Thüring. Bot. Ges. +
shorter and thicker +
ascending +  and horizontal +
caudex-like +
0.02 cm0.2 mm <br />2.0e-4 m <br /> (0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br />) +
adventitious +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
fugaceous +  and persistent +
basal +  and proximal +
2-keeled +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
not fibrous +  and membranous +
cylindric +
Illustrated +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.12 cm1.2 mm <br />0.0012 m <br />) +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
proliferating +
subterete;slightly compressed +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
1.5mm;4mm +
0-2 times wider than thick +
1 +  and 3 +
septate +, hollow +  and solid +
compressed +, terete +  and trigonous +
papillate +
2-fid +  and 3-fid +
E. fernaldii +, E. pauciflora +, E. pauciflora var. fernaldii +  and E. quinqueflora subsp. fernaldii +
Eleocharis quinqueflora +
Eleocharis subg. Zinserlingia +
species +
0.3mm;0.4mm +
stout;slender +
0.2mm +  and 0.3mm +
stoloniferous +  and rhizomatous +