Species: Eleocharis nitida Fern.

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Eleocharis nitida Fern.

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TAXONOMY

Family:

Cyperaceae

Genus:

Eleocharis

Species Synonyms:

none

Common Names:

quill spikerush
neat spike-rush

DISTRIBUTION

Canada:

British Columbia – southwestern Alberta, northeastern Saskatchewan – Ontario – Newfoundland – Nova Scotia

Saskatchewan:

northeastern Saskatchewan; Stony Rapids – Wollaston Lake – Pasquia Hills

Ecoregion:

Boreal Transition, Churchill River Upland, Athabasca Plain, Tazin Lake Upland

HABITAT

Saskatchewan:

moist shores, pond edges, wet depressions, and fens

Associated Species:

black spruce, fowl mannagrass, golden sedge, horsetails, jack pine, ticklegrass

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Threatened

Nature Conservancy Status:

G3G4 S2

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

None

COSEWIC Status:

None

Quill spikerush is threatened in Saskatchewan because it is rare or uncommon and most local populations are small. No immediate threats are known or anticipated for this species.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION

Height:

2 – 15 cm

Roots:

rhizome, 0.3 – 0.5 mm thick, hard, scales membranous to papery or fibrous

Stems:

perennial, mat-forming, 4-angled, hair-like

Leaves:

blade bearing leaves absent; bladeless sheaths straw-coloured to reddish at top, lower part greenish or straw-coloured, membranous, tip often red and entire

Inflorescence:

spikelet terminal, solitary, erect

Spikelets:

1 – 4 mm long, ovoid; scales spreading in fruit, 5 – 30, 8 per mm of spikelet axis, oval, tip rounded and entire, medium to dark brown, midrib pale or greenish

Flowers:

perianth bristles absent; stamens 3, anthers yellow; styles 3-branched

Achenes:

achenes persistent after scales fall, three-angled, angles evident, dark yellow-orange or brown; swellings at base of style brown, greatly depressed, not well-developed

ELEOCHARIS KEY FOR SPECIES FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN

1 Achenes with 9 – 13 longitudinal rows of horizontal ridges between prominent longitudinal ridges and achene angles; spikelets with lowest scale always subtending a flower; stems to 1.5 mm wide	E. acicularis
1 Achenes without long rows of horizontal ridges; lowest scale subtending a flower or empty; stems to 5 mm wide	2

2 Swelling at tip of achene conical, confluent with achene; stigmas 3	3
2 Swelling at tip of achene well-differentiated; stigmas 2 or 3	4

3 Spikelets to 3 mm long, internodes equal in thickness and length throughout the spikelet; scales 5 – 500 per spikelet, green or pale brown; stems < 10 cm tall; rhizome lacking a bulb	E. parvula
3 Spikelets to 7 mm long, proximal internodes thicker and shorter than internodes in the middle of the spikelet; scales 4 – 12 per spikelet, tinged with purple or brown; stems to 40 cm tall; rhizomes bulbous	E. quinquefolia

4 Styles 2-fid; achenes convex	5
4 Styles 3-fid; achenes three-sided	7

5 Tufted annuals, roots fibrous; achenes green, straw-coloured, or black; anthers 0.2 – 1 mm long	E. engelmannii
5 Perennials with rhizomes or runners; achenes yellow to dark brown; anthers 1 – 2.5 mm long	6

6 Tip of uppermost leaf sheath with distinct tooth on all or some stems; base of spikelet with single empty scale nearly enclosing stem	E. erythropoda
6 Tip of distal leaf sheath without distinct tooth on all stems; base of spikelet with 2 or 3 firm, empty scales	E. palustris

7 Achenes biconvex (or < 1/3 of achenes trigonous); tufted annuals; spikelets never proliferous	E. engelmannii
7 Achenes trigonous; annuals or perennials, rhizomatous or stoloniferous; spikelets may be proliferous	8

8 Achene surface honey-comb netted; swelling at tip of achene broader than high; stems to 90 cm tall	E. elliptica
8 Achene surface minutely wrinkled or roughened but not netted; swelling at tip of achene longer than broad; stems to 40 cm tall	9

9 Spikelets < 5 mm long; stems 4-angled and capillary	E. nitida
9 Spikelets to greater than 1 cm long; stems flat and wiry	E. compressa