Eriocaulon parkeri — Parker's pipewort
![Plant form: Eriocaulon parkeri. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Eriocaulaceae/eriocaulon-parkeri-ha-ahaines-b.jpg)
![Inflorescences: Eriocaulon parkeri. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Eriocaulaceae/eriocaulon-parkeri-in-ahaines-c.jpg)
![Leaves: Eriocaulon parkeri. ~ By Jennifer Garrett. ~ Copyright © 2024 Jennifer Garrett. ~ gemmiferg[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Eriocaulaceae/eriocaulon-parkeri-le-jgarrett.jpg)
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Facts
Parker's pipewort is endemic to the Northeast, and rare and protected in New England, where it occurs in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Maine. It inhabits firm mudflats on fresh to brackish tidal river shores and peaty pond shores on the coastal plain. Connecticut's populations, in particular, have experienced significant declines, most attributable to shoreline development or pollution.
Habitat
Brackish or salt marshes and flats, fresh tidal marshes or flats, shores of rivers or lakes
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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enlargeCharacteristics
- Habitat
-
- aquatic
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Leaf position
- the leaves are all submerged underwater
- Leaf arrangement
- the leaves are growing only at the base of the plant (basal)
- Leaf blade length
- 20–90 mm
- Petal or sepal number
- there are two petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
- Petal color
-
- white
- yellow
- Specific leaf type
- the leaf is not divided, rather the blade is made up of one segment
- Floating leaf shape
- NA
- Underwater leaf blade width
- 2–5 mm
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is dry and splits open when ripe
- Underwater leaf length
- 20–90 mm
-
Clonal plantlets
- Turion length
- 0 mm
-
Flowers
- Anther color
- there is a noticeable pink, reddish or purplish tint to the anthers
- Carpels fused
- the carpels are fused to one another
- Flower lower lip length
- 0 mm
- Flower position
- the flowers are above the surface of the water
- Flower symmetry
- there are two or more ways to evenly divide the flower (the flower is radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence type
-
- the inflorescence is a pseudanthium (a cluster of small flowers that appear to be one flower (e.g., flower head of composites)
- the inflorescence is a spike (a long unbranched stem with flowers along it that lack stalks)
- Inflorescence width
- 3–4 mm
- Length of flower stalk
- 0 mm
- Length of peduncle
- 10–200 mm
- Nectar spur
- the flower has no nectar spurs
- Number of carpels
- 0–2
- Ovary position
- the sepals and/or petals are attached below the ovary
- Palate on corolla
- no
- Petal and sepal arrangement
- the flower includes two cycles of petal- or sepal-like structures
- Petal appearance
- the petals are thin and delicate, and pigmented (colored other than green or brown)
- Petal color
-
- white
- yellow
- Petal fringed edges
- the petals are not fringed
- Petal fusion
-
- the perianth parts are fused to form a tube, cup, or bell shape
- the perianth parts are separate
- Petal hairs on inner/upper surface
- there are hairs on the inner/upper petal surface
- Petal length
- 2 mm
- Petal number
- 2
- Petal or sepal number
- there are two petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
- Pistil number
-
- 0
- 1
- Sepal appearance
- the sepals resemble leaves in color and texture
- Sepal length
- 2 mm
- Sepal number
- 2
- Sepals fused only to sepals
- the sepals are separate from one another
- Spur length
- 0 mm
- Stamen number
-
- 0
- 4
- Stamen position relative to petals
- NA
- Stamens fused to petals
- the stamens are not fused to the petals or tepals
- Style number
- 0–1
-
Fruits or seeds
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is dry and splits open when ripe
- Fruit type (specific)
- the fruit is a capsule (splits along two or more seams, apical teeth or pores when dry, to release two or more seeds)
-
Glands or sap
- Oil glands on nodes
- none of the nodes have oil glands
- Sap
- the sap is clear and watery
-
Growth form
- Lifespan
- the plant lives more than two years
- Root septa
- the roots have transverse septa
- Roots floating in water
- there are no clusters of roots floating in the water
- Turions
- there are no turions on the plant
- Underground organs
- there are only slender roots on the plant
-
Leaves
- Bract position (Sparganium)
- NA
- Bract relative length
- At least 1379 mm
- Bracts
- the flowers or their pedicels have bracts at their bases
- Floating leaf basal lobes
- NA
- Floating leaf blade width
- 0 mm
- Floating leaf length
- 0 mm
- Floating leaf shape
- NA
- Floating leaf tip
- NA
- Floral bract form
- the bracts are roughly as lobed as the foliage leaves
- Floral bract length
- 2 mm
- Leaf arrangement
- the leaves are growing only at the base of the plant (basal)
- Leaf blade length
- 20–90 mm
- Leaf blade veins
- the lateral veins are parallel or slightly arched in the direction of the tip
- Leaf blade width
- 2–5 mm
- Leaf position
- the leaves are all submerged underwater
- Leaf special features
- none of the mentioned special features are present
- Leaf-like branch segments
- 0
- Leaf-like branch shape
- NA
- Specific leaf type
- the leaf is not divided, rather the blade is made up of one segment
- Staminate bract edge (Myriophyllum)
- NA
- Stipule appearance
- NA
- Stipule fused to leaf
- NA
- Stipules
- there are no stipules on the plant
- Stipules fused around stem
- NA
- Trap-bladder length
- 0 mm
- Underwater leaf air passage number
- At least 1440
- Underwater leaf air passage relative width
- At least 1442
- Underwater leaf blade edges
- the underwater leaf has smooth edges, without teeth
- Underwater leaf blade shape
- the underwater leaf blade is linear (very narrow with more or less parallel sides)
- Underwater leaf blade veins
- 3–9
- Underwater leaf blade width
- 2–5 mm
- Underwater leaf length
- 20–90 mm
- Underwater leaf stalk
- no
- Underwater leaf stalk length
- 0 mm
- Underwater leaf tip shape
- the tip of the underwater leaf is acute (sharply pointed)
- Veins in floating leaf
- 0
-
Place
- Habitat
-
- aquatic
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Specific habitat
-
- brackish or salt marshes and flats
- fresh tidal marshes or flats
- shores of rivers or lakes
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Flowering stem growth form
- the flowering stem is upright
Wetland status
Occurs only in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: OBL)
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- absent
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- absent
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Connecticut
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), endangered (code: E)
- Maine
- uncommon (S-rank: S3), special concern (code: SC)
- Massachusetts
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), endangered (code: E)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
2. Eriocaulon parkeri B. L. Robins. NC
Parker’s pipewort. CT, MA, ME. Fresh to brackish-tidal river shores, occurring primarily on sand, silt, and mud substrate.
Native to North America?
Yes