Eriocaulon parkeri

Herbs, perennial, 10–20(–30) cm. Leaves linear-attenuate, 2–6(–9) cm, apex filiform-terete. Inflorescences: scape sheaths slightly longer or slightly shorter than leaves, loose; scapes linear, 0.5–1 mm wide, 4–5-ribbed; mature heads dull gray or lead-colored, rarely straw-colored, hemispheric to subglobose, 3–4 mm wide, mostly nearly glabrous; receptacle glabrous; outer involucral bracts usually not reflexed, not obscured by braceteoles and perianth, straw-colored, greenish, or light gray to gray, dull, ovate to suborbiculate or obovate, 2 mm, margins often erose or lacerate, apex blunt, glabrous; inner bracts, receptacular bracteoles grayish, cuneate to narrowly obovate, 2 mm, margins often erose or lacerate, apex obtuse, glabrous or with a few white hairs abaxially at apex. Staminate flowers: sepals 2, gray, linear to oblong or oblanceolate, 2 mm, apex obtuse, glabrous or with a few white hairs abaxially at apex; androphore club-shaped; petals 2, triangular, minute, white-hairy; stamens 4; anthers black. Pistillate flowers: sepals 2, gray, oblong or oblanceolate, 2 mm, scarious, apex obtuse, abaxially hairy apically; petals 2, yellow-white, spatulate, 2 mm, apex obtuse, glabrous or with a few white, club-shaped hairs apically, adaxially; pistil 2-carpellate. Seeds red-brown, ovoid to broadly ellipsoid, 0.5(–7) mm, with delicate reticulum of horizontally oriented alveolae.

Phenology: Flowering summer–fall.
Habitat: Muddy tidewater banks, brackish marsh, mud flats
Elevation: 0–100 m

Distribution

• Generated Map
• Legacy Map

Que., Conn., Del., Maine, Md., Mass., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Va.

Discussion

A considerable amount of transitional material occurs between Eriocaulon parkeri and E. aquaticum at places along coastal streams where brackish habitat meets more acid habitat upstream.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.