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- Eleocharis flavescens
Eleocharis flavescens — yellow spikesedge
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New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
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Facts
Yellow spikesedge is a common plant of shorelines, marshes, river shores and peat swamps, found in all New England states. It is called "yellow" spikesedge for its straw-colored achenes. These have long bristles, which give the whole spike a "curly" appearance. It propagates vegeatatively on skinny rhizomes.
Habitat
Bogs, brackish or salt marshes and flats, floodplain (river or stream floodplains), marshes, shores of rivers or lakes, wetland margins (edges of wetlands)
Characteristics
- Habitat
-
- aquatic
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Stem shape in cross-section
- the stem is round or oval in cross-section
- Leaf blade width
- 0 mm
- Leaf blade cross-section
- NA
- Inflorescence position
- the inflorescence is at the tip of the plant
- Inflorescence branching
- the inflorescence is on one or more stems with no branches
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is like a seed, and surrounded by scales
- Fruit length
- 0.5–1.1 mm
- Leaf position on plant
- the attachment points of all the leaves are at or near the base of the plant
- Perianth composition
-
- there are bristles attached at the base of the achene
- there is no perianth on the plant
- Fruit cross-section
-
- the fruit is biconvex or elliptic (widest in the middle and tapering to both ends) in cross-section
- the fruit is triangular to terete (circular) in cross-section
-
Flowers
- Anther length
- 0.7–1 mm
- Floral bristle color
- the bristles are white
- Floral bristle number
-
- 0
- 1-4
- 5-7
- 8 or more
- Floral bristle relative length
- the bristles are longer than the achene
- Floral bristles
- the bristles are straight or slightly curved
- Floral scale hairs
- there are no hairs on the floral scales
- Floral scale length
- 1–3 mm
- Floral scale nerves
- 0
- Floral scale shape
- the floral scales are elliptic (widest in the middle and tapering toward each end)
- Floral scale translucent
- the floral scales are opaque
- Inflorescence bract angle
- NA
- Inflorescence bract number
- NA
- Inflorescence bract position (Sparganium)
- NA
- Inflorescence bracts
- NA
- Inflorescence branching
- the inflorescence is on one or more stems with no branches
- Inflorescence crowding
-
- NA
- the inflorescence is crowded together in one tight cluster
- Inflorescence position
- the inflorescence is at the tip of the plant
- Inflorescence shape
- the aggregations within the inflorescence are roughly circular (not flattened) in cross-section
- Inflorescence type
- there is one spike or raceme at the tip of the stem
- Perianth composition
-
- there are bristles attached at the base of the achene
- there is no perianth on the plant
- Stamen number
-
- 1
- 2
- 3
- Stigma number
- 2
- Style division
- the top two thirds of the style is divided
- floral bristle barbs
- the bristles have tiny barbs on them
- plantlets budding at flower bases
-
- no
- yes
-
Fruits or seeds
- Achene beak length
- 0 mm
- Achene surface texture
- the achene has very tiny pits or depressions on it
- Achene tubercle relative width
- the tubercle is one half or less as wide as the achene
- Achene tubercle width
- 0.2–0.4 mm
- Capsule relative length
- NA
- Fruit cross-section
-
- the fruit is biconvex or elliptic (widest in the middle and tapering to both ends) in cross-section
- the fruit is triangular to terete (circular) in cross-section
- Fruit length
- 0.5–1.1 mm
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is like a seed, and surrounded by scales
- Fruit type (specific)
- the fruit is an achene (dry, seed-like fruit) with a tubercle (a swelling or projection, usually of a different color or texture) on it
- Locules in capsule
- NA
- Seed length
- 0 mm
- Seed tail relative length
- 0 mm
- Seed tails
- NA
- Tubercle height
- 0.3–0.7 mm
-
Growth form
- Lifespan
- the plant lives more than two years
- Rhizome thickness
- 0.5–1 mm
- Underground organs
- the plant has a rhizome (a horizontal underground stem with roots growing from it)
-
Leaves
- Auricle length
- 0 mm
- Auricle texture
- NA
- Auricles
- there are no auricles on the leaf sheath
- Leaf blade cross-section
- NA
- Leaf blade length
- 0 mm
- Leaf blade width
- 0 mm
- Leaf form
- all the leaves hold their form out of water
- Leaf position on plant
- the attachment points of all the leaves are at or near the base of the plant
- Leaf septa
- NA
- Leaf sheath hairs
- the leaf sheathes are without hairs
- Pedicel length (Typha)
- 0 mm
- Stem leaf blade ligules
- NA
- Stem leaf blades
- there are no leaves on the main stem, or there is a small tooth or tiny blade, or a leaf sheath with no blade
- Width of seed-producing inflorescence
- 1–2 mm
-
Place
- Habitat
-
- aquatic
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- bogs
- brackish or salt marshes and flats
- edges of wetlands
- marshes
- river or stream floodplains
- shores of rivers or lakes
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Plant height
- 3–28 cm
- Stem shape in cross-section
- the stem is round or oval in cross-section
- Stem texture near tip
- the stem feels smooth near the tip
- Stem thickness at midpoint
- 0.3–0.6 mm
Wetland status
Occurs only in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: OBL)
New England distribution and conservation status
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- present
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
var. olivacea
- Vermont
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1)
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
Synonyms
- Eleocharis olivacea Torr.
Family
Genus
From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae
11. Eleocharis flavescens (Poir.) Urban var. olivacea (Torr.) Gleason N
yellow spikesedge. Eleocharis olivacea Torr. • CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. Shorelines, marshes, tidal river shores, peatlands.