Eleocharis parvula (Roemer & Schultes) Link   = Eleocharis parvula var. parvula   Cyperaceae (Sedge Family)   Native, Cosmopolitan               Little Spike Rush

                                        June Photo

Plant Characteristics:  Caespitose annual with fibrous roots, often with minute tuberous stolons; culms capillary, 2-7 cm. tall, greenish or straw colored; spikelets 2-3.5 mm. long, broadly ovate, 2- to 9-flowered; scales ovate, obtuse or acute, green to yellowish, often reddish brown on the sides; bristles 6, as long as or longer than the achene; stamens 3; trifid; achene obovate, 1-1.4 mm. long, straw-colored, smooth and shining, under high magnification sometimes lightly striate; tubercle very small, triangular, confluent with apex of achene, greenish.  See notes below on E. coloradoensis.

Habitat:  Salt marshes; San Luis Obispo and Humboldt counties; cosmopolitan.  No bloom date given in Mason.  Found below 2500 m.  Hickman, Ed. also reports that the species is normally found in northern counties, but also the Great Basin and the deserts. (Hickman, Ed. 1142).

Name:  Greek, helios, marsh, and charis, grace, many spp. found in marshes.  (Munz, Flora So. Calif. 898).  Latin, parvulas, small. (Jaeger 184). 

General:  Rare in the study area, found only in the Delhi ditch. A plant of the northern counties of California.  Fred Roberts and Gordon Marsh at the UCI Museum of Systematic Biology do not seem too concerned that this species of the northern counties and is found in Orange county. (my comments).     A cosmopolitan genus of about 150 species, inhabiting wet places, mostly in warm regions.  (Munz, Flora So. Calif. 898).       Eleocharis species have been known to cause hay fever and asthma.  (Fuller 381).      Eleocharis parvula has a rank of L4 on the California Native Plant Society Inventory of Rare and Vascular Plants of California. (Roberts 53).  A 1  ranking is the most rare or endangered and  4  the least.  (my comment).       Circumboreal.  Plants from the interior of North America sometimes separated.  (Hickman, Ed. 1142).       In 1990, I found a species of Eleocharis in the 23rd St. creek but was unable to find a specimen with a mature achene until 1994 when I identified E. coloradoensis.  The 1993 Jepson Manual combines E. coloradoensis with E. parvula even though E. coloradoensis has 3 short bristles and the achene has a pyramidal tubercle and is papillose.  (my comments).

Text Ref:  Hickman, Ed. 1142; Mason 285; Roberts 43. Munz, Calif. Flora 1421; Munz, Flora So. Calif. 900.

Photo Ref:  May June 85 # 15,16; June Aug 90 # 10.

Identity: by F. Roberts.

Computer Ref: Plant Data 22.

Have plant specimen.

Last edit 12/21/02.

                                              June Photo