| Author | L. | |
| Distribution | Present over most of the Coastal Plain, and throughout the southern half. Scattered in the Mountains and western-central Piedmont, but nearly absent in the eastern Piedmont, due to a lack of seepage bogs.
This is a mainly Southern and Coastal Plain species, ranging from NJ south to southern FL and west to eastern TX. There are only a few records for TN, AR, and OK. Also Mex. and C.Am. | |
| Abundance | Common in the southern half of the Coastal Plain, but rare to uncommon in the northern half. Rare to uncommon in the Mountains and western half of the Piedmont, and very rare at best in the eastern half of the Piedmont. This is, by far, the most numerous of the state's five Eriocaulon species. | |
| Habitat | This wetland species has a wide array of habitats, though it typically does not grow in standing water. It occurs in damp or seepy spots within pine savannas, pitcher-plant bogs, in ditches, in swamp openings, seepage bogs and fens, and in streamhead ecotones and seepages. | |
| Phenology | Flowers and fruits from June to October, later flowering than in the similar E. compressum. | |
| Identification | This is a familiar plant to biologists who spend much time in savannas and other Coastal Plain habitats dominated by pinelands. The numerous basal leaves are erect and rather thick and dark green, about 6-8 inches long and about 2/5-inch wide. The one to several stalks each have a single flower head at the summit, reaching 1.5-2 feet tall on average, taller than in all of the other pipeworts. The heads are a bright white, very densely packed with tiny flowers, and very hard, not generally "compressible" between two fingers. The heads are about 1/2-inch wide, quite rounded at the top. E. compressum is rather similar, but normally occurs in ponds and permanent pools, though it averages shorter and with thin leaves; the flower head is more flattened and can be compressed when squeezed between two fingers. | |
| Taxonomic Comments | The taxon found in NC is the nominate one -- var. decangulare.
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| Other Common Name(s) | None | |
| State Rank | S5 | |
| Global Rank | G5 | |
| State Status | | |
| US Status | | |
| USACE-agcp | OBL link |
| USACE-emp | OBL link |
