Illinois Natural History Survey - University of Illinois

Eleocharis erythropoda
Common spike-rush, Red-rooted spike rush
Taxonomy

Synonyms:

Subspecific taxa:

Classification:

Other taxonomic & nomenclature sources: USDA Plants;  ITIS;  The Plant List;  IPNI

Species Distribution
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More about map & occurrence records

County Map Legend
Absent:
Not known from county
Medium confidence:
Medium or unknown confidence;
often old records or unverifiable observations
Medium-high confidence:
Often observations by expert botanists
High confidence:
Often vouchered herbarium records
Planted / introduced:
Native species introduced outside historic range,
or only in planted locations within county (e.g., restorations)
Historic / extirpated:
Only historic records for the species; likely extirpated
(Note that this category is not yet functional)

North American distribution maps for this species: FLNA;  USDA Plants;  BONAP;  BISON

Collections, Observations & Flowering by Month [?]

J
0
F
0
M
0
A
0
M
0
J
0
J
0
A
0
S
0
O
0
N
0
D
0

Collections & Observations by Decade [?]

Species Status

Status/Listing: No Information

Notes:Due to considerable historical confusion regarding the identification and naming of Eleocharis macroshtachya, palustris, and erythropoda, and their synonyms (e.g., Eleocharis smallii) in different floras, many distribution records, especially older ones, should be treated cautiously within this group.

Origin: Native

Species Description

General: Monocot, perennial

Roots: adventitious, rhizomes

Shoots: alternate leaf arrangment; simple leaf type; entire leaf margin; Parallel leaf venation; awl-shaped leaf shape

Inflorescence: head

Flowers: perfect; 3 merous; complete, regular; hypogynous ovary position

Fruit: achene

Physiology: autotrophic

Reproduction: vegetative

Ecology & Natural History

Habitat: Species is distributed in ditches.

ILPIN Notes: Species is rather common in northern 1/2, very rare in southern 1/2 of Illinois. This species has a large, single, suborbicular basal scale that completely encircles the culm.

Functional Relationships:

  • Pollinators:
  • Dispersal:
  • Mycorrhizae:
  • N2 fixation:

Human Relationships:

  • Edibility [?] :
  • Showy Flowers:

Wildlife and Livestock Information:

  • Food Value:
  • Cover Value:

Coefficient of Conservatism (C-value) [?] :

  • Entire State: 3
  • Chicago Area: 2

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