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Dwarf spikerush

Eleocharis parvula

Also called Dwarf Spike Rush, Little Head Spike Rush, Dwarf Hair Grass, Estuarine Spike Rush, Small Spike Rush, Little Headed Spikerush, Low Spikerush

Dwarf spikerush
Photo: Robert H. Mohlenbrock, Public domain
Family
Cyperaceae (Cyper family)
Grows as
Bulb, Perennial
Water
Likes moisture
Native range
Temp. Northern Hemisphere to W. Malesia and NW. Venezuela
Climate
temperate

About

Eleocharis parvula is a species of spikesedge known by the common names dwarf spikerush, small spikerush and hairgrass in aquaria. It is a plant of brackish and saltwater habitat, such as marshes and mudflats. It is a perennial herb growing tufts of spongy, compressible stems not more than 10 centimeters tall. The plant grows from a tuber which is J-shaped or horseshoe-shaped, a characteristic that helps in the identification of the species. The inflorescence is an oval-shaped spikelet just 2 or 3 millimeters long, made up of several tiny flowers.

Where it grows

Eleocharis parvula has a disjunct, scattered distribution. It is widespread across much of Europe and North America (US, Canada, Mexico, Central America), with additional populations in the Russian Far East, Japan, Hainan, Java, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Cuba, and Brazil.

Other Eleocharis plants

Needle spikerush · Sharp Spike Sedge · Purple spikerush · Glades spikerush · Bolander's spikerush · Eleocharis brassii · Eleocharis caespitosissima · Algal Bulrush · Drooping Spikerush · Eleocharis dietrichiana · Chinese water chestnut · Jointed spikesedge

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Eleocharis parvula by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

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