Eleocharis atricha
R.Br.Slender tufted perennial, with slender rhizomes bearing ovoid tubers to c. 5 mm long and 2.5 mm diam. Culms angular-grooved, 3–40 cm high, 0.5–1.3 mm diam. Spikelet narrow-ovoid to linear, often proliferating, 10–20 mm long; glumes obtuse, narrowly keeled, red-brown, 3–5 mm long; hypogynous bristles absent; stamens 3; anthers 1.5–2.6 mm; style 3-fid. Nut obscurely trigonous, narrow-obovoid, narrowed into a short neck, prominently longitudinally ribbed, the external cells transversely linear to oblong in 4–6 vertical rows on each face, straw-coloured, 1.3–1.5 mm long, c. 0.7 mm diam.; style-base from one-sixth to one-quarter as long as and from three-quarters to four-fifths as wide as nut. Flowers spring–summer.
LoM, MuM, Wim, GleP, VVP, VRiv, GipP, OtP, WaP, Gold, CVU, GGr, DunT, NIS, EGL, EGU, HSF, HNF, MonT. Also NT, SA, Qld, NSW. Widespread in swamps and seasonally wet situations, in heathland and woodland, mostly on sandy soils. This species rarely sets fruit. It spreads by proliferating from the spikelet or producing tubers.
Wilson, K.L. (1994). Cyperaceae. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 2, Ferns and Allied Plants, Conifers and Monocotyledons, pp. 238–356. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
Spinning
