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:

Agrostis scabra, Carex aurea, Equisetum sp, Glyceria striata, Picea mariana, Pinus banksiana

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Threatened

Nature Conservancy Status:

G3G4 S2

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

None

COSEWIC Status:

None

Eleocharis nitida 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

Culms:

perennial, mat-forming, 4-angled, capillary

Leaves:

blade bearing leaves absent; bladeless sheaths, stramineus to reddish at top, lower part greenish or stramineus, membranous, apex often red and entire

Inflorescence:

spikelet terminal, solitary, erect

Spikelets:

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

Flowers:

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

Achenes:

achenes persistent after scales fall, trigonous, angles evident, dark yellow-orange or brown; tubercles brown, greatly depressed, rudimentary

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 proximal scale always subtending a flower; culms to 1.5 mm wide	E. acicularis
1 Achenes without long rows of horizontal ridges; proximal scale subtending a flower or empty; culms to 5 mm wide	2

2 Tubercle conical, confluent with achene; stigmas 3	3
2 Large shrub; leaflets lobed, less than 3 cm long; fruits red and hairy	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 biconvex	5
4 Styles 3-fid; achenes trigonous	7

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

6 Apex of distal leaf sheath with distinct tooth on all or some culms; base of spikelet with single empty scale nearly enclosing culm	E. erythropoda
6 Apex of distal leaf sheath without distinct tooth on all culms; 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 reticulate; tubercle broader than high; culms to 90 cm tall	E. elliptica
8 Achene surface minutely wrinkled or roughened but not reticulate; tubercle longer than broad; culms to 40 cm tall	9

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