| Author | (L.) Roemer & J.A. Schultes | |
| Distribution | Mountains only. Two specimens are correctly identified -- Alleghany County: Roaring Gap, southern extension of Lake Louise. 2010. Poindexter 10-301 (NCU); and Macon County: north shore Harris Lake, Highlands. 1949. Radford 4791 (NCU, DUKE, NCSC, TENN).
Lab. to AK south to western NC, northern AL, TX, CA. | |
| Abundance | Very rare, but other records are expected, as both specimens came from margins of man-made lakes, a not uncommon montane habitat. The species been added to the NCNHP's Significantly Rare list, as of fall 2022. | |
| Habitat | Margins of freshwater impoundment lakes in NC. Could also occur on river shores or river marshes. | |
| Phenology | Flowering and fruiting June-September. | |
| Identification | Plants ususlly form clones or mats via horizontal rhizomes. The stems range from 1-3 feet tall, with narrow, tapering spikelets on top. The seeds are bi-convex (lenticular, 2-sided). It is very similar to E. erythropoda but it has a greater number of florets per spikelet (FNA says 30-100 vs. 15-50) and somewhat larger seeds (1-1.5 mm wide vs. 0.7-1.2 mm wide in the other species). | |
| Taxonomic Comments | Includes E. smallii Britton.
The genus Eleocharis, the spikerushes, are unusual members of the sedge family in that the culms (flowering stems) are round or oval (rarely triangular) in cross-section, rather than triangular in the great majority of our sedges. In addition, leaf blades are absent; just 1-2 basal sheaths are present at the base of the culm. There is a single, cylindrical or narrowly ovoid, spikelet of florets at the culm summit. Details of achene (seed) shape, color, ornamentation, bristle length, and beak (tubercle) shape and size, are critical ID factors. | |
| Other Common Name(s) | Small's Spikerush, Creeping Spikerush | |
| State Rank | S1 | |
| Global Rank | G5 | |
| State Status | SR-O | |
| US Status | | |
| USACE-agcp | OBL link |
| USACE-emp | OBL link |
