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Eleocharis erythropoda

Steud. (1854)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Monocots Order: Poales Family: Cyperaceae Genus: Eleocharis

kohekohe, pīpīwai, spikerush

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Perennials, rhizomes brown, slender.

Stems: Culms laxly tufted, slender, soft, terete (cylindrical), 9–60 cm tall, 0.5–1.5 mm in diameter.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. alternate, basal or nearly so reduced to bladeless sheaths Margins entire. Sheathing; sheaths membranous, pale, streaked with reddish brown especially toward base, 2–9 cm long, the orifice truncate. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in spikelets many–flowered, lanceoloid to narrowly ovoid, 8–17 mm long, 2–4 mm wide, gradually narrowed to an acute apex; glumes pale and tinged reddish brown on both sides of midnerve, thin, membranous, lanceolate–elliptic 2–3 mm long, 1.2–1.3 mm wide, gradually narrowed to a subobtuse apex, midnerve yellowish green, ending below the glume apex. Flowers bisexual (perfect). Calyx of 1–4 bristles, slender, slightly longer than the achene, sometimes absent. Corolla (petals) absent. Ovary superior; styles base conical, spongy, ⅓–⅔ as wide as achene; stigmas 2.

Fruit: Achenes dark yellow; smooth; narrowly obovate; lenticular; 1–1.5 mm long; 0.7–0.9 mm wide. Seeds 1; seed coat thin; free from pericarp; embryo basal; endosperm abundant.

Ploidy: 2n = 18

Habitat: Occurring along margins of marshes and ponds.

Elevation Range: 0–250 m.

Historical Distribution

Images

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Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Indigenous

Island Status

Ni'ihau(Incl. Lehua) Indigenous
O'ahu Indigenous
Kaho'olawe Indigenous

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Specimens

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Bibliography

Name Published In: Syn. Pl. Glumac. 2: 76 (1854)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:1402 (Ni, O, Ka [as E. calva]); Smith et al. 2002 (Syn. E. calva = E. erythropoda); Forbes 2360.O BISH (O†, 1916)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Eleocharis erythropoda Kaimuki Preserved_Specimen Creeping rhizome in the mud. Forbes, C.N. 2360 Oahu BISH 1916-03-26
2 Eleocharis erythropoda Kaimuki In the mud Preserved_Specimen Creeping rhizome Forbes, C.N. 2360 Oahu BISH 1916-03-26
3 Eleocharis erythropoda Loe Lake, 2 miles north of Puuwai Preserved_Specimen Plants up to 12 dm. tall; basal sheaths red. St.John, H. 23598 Niihau BISH 1949-03-30
4 Eleocharis erythropoda Waimea, Waimea Falls Park, cultivated sedge, acc. no. 90p63 Clumping sedge 2 ft. tall growing among rocks on bank of water feature. Original material from Loe Lake, Niihau. Preserved_Specimen Orr, D. Oahu BISH 2000-08-16
5 Eleocharis erythropoda Lua Kealialalo, crater with standing water in center of western third of island Restricted to edge of lake in center of crater. Surrounding vegetation is composed of Prosopis pallida trees with a number of introduced plants as ground cover. Preserved_Specimen Sedges numerous. Cuddihy, L.W. 354 Kahoolawe BISH 1980-04-22
6 Eleocharis erythropoda Lua Kealialalo, crater with standing water in center of western third of island Sedges numerous but restricted to edge of lake in center of crater. Surrounding vegetation is composed of Prosopis trees with a number of introduced plants as ground cover. Preserved_Specimen Cuddihy, L.W. 354 Kahoolawe BISH 1980-04-22
7 Eleocharis erythropoda Niihau Preserved_Specimen Only lower parts of plants received. Red part 2-4 in. long. Judd, Rev. H. Niihau BISH 1950-09-01
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