Eleocharis nitida — quill spikesedge
![Flowers and fruits: Eleocharis nitida. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Cyperaceae/eleocharis-nitida-ff-ahaines.jpg)
![Plant form: Eleocharis nitida. ~ By Susan Crispin. ~ Copyright © 2024 Michigan Natural Features Inventory . ~ mnfi[at]msu.edu ~ Michigan Natural Features Inventory - web4.msue.msu.edu](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Cyperaceae/eleocharis-nitida-ha-scrispin1.jpg)
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Facts
Quill spikesedge is a rare species of open, wet sites in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, where it reaches the southeastern edge of its range. It is one of our tiniest spikesedges.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), meadows and fields
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
enlargeCharacteristics
- Habitat
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Maine
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Stem shape in cross-section
- the stem is round or oval in cross-section
- Leaf blade width
- 0 mm
- Leaf blade cross-section
- NA
- Inflorescence position
- the inflorescence is at the tip of the plant
- Inflorescence branching
- the inflorescence is on one or more stems with no branches
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is like a seed, and surrounded by scales
- Fruit length
- 0.6–0.7 mm
- Leaf position on plant
- the attachment points of all the leaves are at or near the base of the plant
- Perianth composition
- there is no perianth on the plant
- Fruit cross-section
- the fruit is triangular to terete (circular) in cross-section
-
Flowers
- Anther color (dry)
- the anthers range in color from white to tan or yellow to yellow-brown
- Anther length
- 0.3–0.7 mm
- Floral bristle color
- NA
- Floral bristle number
- 0
- Floral bristle relative length
- NA
- Floral bristles
- NA
- Floral scale hairs
- there are no hairs on the floral scales
- Floral scale length
- 1–1.4 mm
- Floral scale nerves
- 1
- Floral scale shape
- the floral scales are ovate (roughly egg-shaped)
- Floral scale translucent
- the floral scales are opaque
- Inflorescence bract angle
- NA
- Inflorescence bract number
- NA
- Inflorescence bract position (Sparganium)
- NA
- Inflorescence bracts
- NA
- Inflorescence branching
- the inflorescence is on one or more stems with no branches
- Inflorescence crowding
-
- NA
- the inflorescence is crowded together in one tight cluster
- Inflorescence position
- the inflorescence is at the tip of the plant
- Inflorescence shape
- the aggregations within the inflorescence are roughly circular (not flattened) in cross-section
- Inflorescence type
- there is one spike or raceme at the tip of the stem
- Perianth composition
- there is no perianth on the plant
- Stamen number
- 3
- Stigma number
- 3
- Style division
- the top two thirds of the style is divided
- floral bristle barbs
- NA
- plantlets budding at flower bases
-
- no
- yes
-
Fruits or seeds
- Achene beak length
- 0 mm
- Achene surface texture
- the achene has tiny wrinkles that run cross-wise across the achene
- Achene tubercle relative width
- the tubercle is one half or less as wide as the achene
- Achene tubercle width
- 0.15–0.3 mm
- Capsule relative length
- NA
- Fruit cross-section
- the fruit is triangular to terete (circular) in cross-section
- Fruit length
- 0.6–0.7 mm
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is like a seed, and surrounded by scales
- Fruit type (specific)
- the fruit is an achene (dry, seed-like fruit) with a tubercle (a swelling or projection, usually of a different color or texture) on it
- Locules in capsule
- NA
- Seed length
- 0 mm
- Seed tail relative length
- 0 mm
- Seed tails
- NA
- Tubercle height
- 0.05–0.15 mm
-
Growth form
- Lifespan
- the plant lives more than two years
- Rhizome thickness
- 0.5–1 mm
- Underground organs
- the plant has a rhizome (a horizontal underground stem with roots growing from it)
-
Leaves
- Auricle length
- 0 mm
- Auricle texture
- NA
- Auricles
- there are no auricles on the leaf sheath
- Leaf blade cross-section
- NA
- Leaf blade length
- 0 mm
- Leaf blade width
- 0 mm
- Leaf form
- all the leaves hold their form out of water
- Leaf position on plant
- the attachment points of all the leaves are at or near the base of the plant
- Leaf septa
- NA
- Leaf sheath hairs
- the leaf sheathes are without hairs
- Pedicel length (Typha)
- 0 mm
- Stem leaf blade ligules
- NA
- Stem leaf blades
- there are no leaves on the main stem, or there is a small tooth or tiny blade, or a leaf sheath with no blade
- Width of seed-producing inflorescence
- 1–2 mm
-
Place
- Habitat
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Maine
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- man-made or disturbed habitats
- meadows or fields
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Plant height
- 2–15 cm
- Stem shape in cross-section
- the stem is round or oval in cross-section
- Stem texture near tip
- the stem feels smooth near the tip
- Stem thickness at midpoint
- 0.15–0.8 mm
Wetland status
Occurs only in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: OBL)
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- absent
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- absent
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Maine
- unrankable (S-rank: SU), special concern (code: SC)
- New Hampshire
- historical (S-rank: SH), endangered (code: E)
- Vermont
- historical (S-rank: SH)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
15. Eleocharis nitida Fern. NC
quill spikesedge. ME, NH, VT. Boggy pastures, wet meadows, low areas in trails and fields.
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Eleocharis tenuis:
- summit of the leaf sheath with a tooth-like lobe, flora scales 1.5-2.5 mm long, and anthers 0.8-1.8 mm long (vs. E. nitida, with the summit of leaf sheath lacking a tooth-like lobe, floral scales 1-1.4 mm long, and anthers 0.3-0.7 mm long).
- Eleocharis elliptica:
- summit of the leaf sheath with a tooth-like lobe, flora scales 1.7-3 mm long, and anthers 0.8-1.7 mm long (vs. E. nitida, with the summit of leaf sheath lacking a tooth-like lobe, floral scales 1-1.4 mm long, and anthers 0.3-0.7 mm long).