Classification System: APG IV
Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Monocots
Cladus: Commelinids
Ordo: Poales
Familia: Cyperaceae
Subfamilia: Cyperoideae
Tribus: Eleocharideae
Genus: Eleocharis
Species: E. abnorma – E. acicularis – E. acuta – E. acutangula – E. aestuum – E. albibracteata – E. albida – E. alveolata – E. alveolatoides – E. amazonica – E. andamanensis – E. angolensis – E. angustispicula – E. antunesii – E. argentina – E. argyrolepis – E. arseniflora – E. atricha – E. atrobrunnea – E. atropurpurea – E. atrospiculata – E. attenuata – E. aurea – E. ayacuchensis – E. bahamensis – E. bahiensis – E. baldwinii – E. barrosii – E. bella – E. bernardina – E. bifida – E. blakeana – E. bolanderi – E. bonariensis – E. brachycarpa – E. brainii – E. brasiliensis – E. brassii – E. braunii – E. brevicollis – E. brittonii – E. bulbosa – E. caduca – E. caespitosissima – E. callensii – E. cancellata – E. canindeyuensis – E. capillacea – E. carniolica – E. cellulosa – E. chamaegyne – E. coloradoensis – E. columbiensis – E. complanata – E. compressa – E. confervoides – E. congesta – E. contracta – E. cordillerana – E. coronata – E. crinalis – E. crispovaginata – E. cryptica – E. cuatrecasasii – E. cubangensis – E. cylindrica – E. cylindrostachys – E. debilis – E. decoriglumis – E. decumbens – E. deightonii – E. densa – E. densicaespitosa – E. diandra – E. dietrichiana – E. difformis – E. dombeyana – E. dregeana – E. dulcis – E. dunensis – E. eglerioides – E. elegans – E. elliptica – E. elongata – E. emarginata – E. endounifascis – E. engelmannii – E. equisetoides – E. erhaiensis – E. erythropoda – E. exigua – E. fallax – E. fassettii – E. fennica – E. filiculmis – E. flavescens – E. fluctuans – E. fuscopurpurea – E. geniculata – E. glabella – E. glauca – E. glaucovirens – E. gonzaleziae – E. gossweileri – E. gracilis – E. grandirostris – E. grisea – E. grossimucronata – E. hatschbachii – E. haumaniana – E. hooperiana – E. ignota – E. intermedia – E. interstincta – E. jacobsiana – E. jelskiana – E. kamtschatica – E. keigheryi – E. kirkii – E. kleinii – E. knutei – E. kuoi – E. kuroguwai – E. laeviglumis – E. laeviseta – E. lanceolata – E. lankana – E. lechleri – E. lepta – E. liesneri – E. limosa – E. liogieri – E. liouana – E. loefgreniana – E. lundellii – E. macbarronii – E. macrantha – E. macrostachya – E. maculosa – E. maidenii – E. mamillata – E. margaritacea – E. marginulata – E. maximowiczii – E. melanocarpa – E. melanomphala – E. melanostachys – E. mendocina – E. microcarpa – E. microformis – E. microlepis – E. migoana – E. minarum – E. minima – E. minuta – E. minutiflora – E. minutissima – E. mitracarpa – E. monantha – E. montana – E. montevidensis – E. moorei – E. moraosejoana – E. morroi – E. multicaulis – E. mutata – E. nana – E. naumanniana – E. neozelandica – E. niederleinii – E. nigrescens – E. nipponica – E. nitida – E. nuda – E. nudipes – E. nupeensis – E. obicis – E. obpyriformis – E. obtusa – E. obtusitrigona – E. occidentalis – E. occulta – E. ochrostachys – E. oligantha – E. olivaceonux – E. onthitensis – E. ovata – E. oxylepis – E. pachycarpa – E. pachystyla – E. pallens – E. palustris – E. papillosa – E. paradoxa – E. parishii – E. parodii – E. parvinux – E. parvispicula – E. parvula – E. pauciglumis – E. pellucida – E. penchaoi – E. philippinensis – E. plana – E. platypus – E. plicarhachis – E. pseudoalbibracteata – E. pseudobulbosa – E. pseudofistulosa – E. punctulata – E. pusilla – E. qinghaiensis – E. quadrangulata – E. quinqueflora – E. rabenii – E. ramboana – E. ramboi – E. ravenelii – E. reichei – E. retroflexa – E. reverchonii – E. reznicekii – E. rivalis – E. robbinsii – E. robusta – E. rojasiana – E. rostellata – E. rugosa – E. rzedowskii – E. sanguinolenta – E. schaffneri – E. schenckii – E. schlechteri – E. sellowiana – E. setifolia – E. setulosa – E. sphacelata – E. spiralis – E. spongostyla – E. squamata – E. squamigera – E. starczenkoae – E. steinbachii – E. stenocarpa – E. steyermarkii – E. subarticulata – E. subcancellata – E. subfoliata – E. suksdorfiana – E. sundaica – E. svensoniana – E. swamyi – E. tenarum – E. tenuiculmis – E. tenuis – E. tetraquetra – E. tiarata – E. torticulmis – E. tortilis – E. tricostata – E. trilateralis – E. trilophus – E. triquetra – E. tuberculosa – E. tucumanensis – E. tuvinica – E. uniflora – E. uniglumis – E. urbanii – E. urceolata – E. urceolatoides – E. ussuriensis – E. usterii – E. valleculosa – E. variegata – E. venezuelensis – E. viridans – E. vivipara – E. wadoodii – E. welwitschii – E. wichurae – E. wilkensii – E. wolfii – E. yecorensis – E. yokoscensis – E. yunnanensis
Nothospecies: E. × choseiensis – E. × macounii – E. × naritaensis – E. × subangulata – E. × yezoensis
E. acicularis - E. acutangula - E. atropurpurea - E. baldwinii - E. dulcis - E. elegans - E. filiculmis - E. geniculata - E. macrostachya - E. nitida - E. obtusa - E. palustris - E. parishii - E. pellucida - E. quadrangulata - E. rostellata - E. sellowiana
Name
Eleocharis R.Br., Prodr. Fl. Nov. Holl.: 224. 1810.
Lectotype species: Eleocharis palustris (L.) Roem. & Schult., Syst. Veg., ed. 15 bis 2: 151. 1817, designated by Britton, Bull. Jamaica Dept. Agric. 5: 10. 1907.
Synonyms
Homotypic
Scirpus [unranked] Eleocharis (R.Br.) Endl.
Scirpus subg. Eleocharis (R.Br.) Heer, Mitth. Geb. Theor. Erdk. 1: 427. 1836.
Heterotypic
Trichophyllum Ehrh., Beitr. Naturk. 4: 147. 1789, nom. inval.
Bulbostylis Steven, Mém. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 5: 355. 1817, nom. rej.
Heleocharis T.Lestib., Essai Cypér.: 41. 1819
Limnochloa P.Beauv. ex T.Lestib., Essai Cypér.: 41. 1819
Megadenus Raf., Neogenyton: 4. 1825
Clavula Dumort., Fl. Belg.: 143. 1827
Heliocharis Lindl., Syn. Brit. Fl.: 280. 1829
Baeothryon Ehrh. ex A.Dietr., Sp. Pl. 2: 89. 1833
Chaetocyperus Nees, Linnaea 9: 289. 1834
Eleogenus Nees, Linnaea 9: 294. 1834
Scirpidium Nees, Linnaea 9: 293. 1834
Limnocharis Kunth, Enum. Pl. 2: 153. 1837, nom. illeg.
Elaeocharis Brongn., Énum. Pl. Mus. Paris: 12. 1843, orth. var.
Websteria S.H.Wright, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 14: 135. 1887
Chlorocharis Rikli, Jahrb. Wiss. Bot. 27: 564. 1895
Chillania Roiv., Ann. Bot. Soc. Zool.-Bot. Fenn. "Vanamo" 4(7): 2. 1933
Chamaegyne Suess., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 73: 113. 1943
Helonema Suess., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 73: 118. 1943
Egleria L.T.Eiten, Phytologia 9: 481. 1964
References
Primary references
Brown, R. 1810. Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen. pp. i–viii + 145–590, Londini: R.Taylor. BHL Reference page.
Additional references
Hinchliff, C.E., Lliully A., A.E., Carey, T. & Roalson, E.H. 2010. The origins of Eleocharis (Cyperaceae) and the status of Websteria, Egleria, and Chillania. Taxon 59(3): 709–719. DOI: 10.1002/tax.593004 Paywall JSTOR Hybrid open access journal ResearchGate Reference page.
Hinchliff, C.E., Petersen, S.L. & Roalson, E.H. 2010. Eleocharis endounifascis: A new species of Eleocharis subgenus Limnochloa (Cyperaceae) from northern South America. Phytotaxa 7: 19–24. DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.7.1.2 Paywall Reference page.
Trevisan, R. & Boldrini, I.I. 2010. Novelties in Eleocharis ser. Tenuissimae (Cyperaceae), and a Key to the Species of the Series Occurring in Brazil. Systematic Botany 35(3): 504–511. DOI: 10.1600/036364410792495836 JSTOR. Reference page.
Links
Govaerts, R. et al. 2015. Eleocharis in Kew Science Plants of the World Online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2015 Dec. 12. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2015. Eleocharis. Published online. Accessed: Dec. 12 2015. Reference page.
Tropicos.org 2015. Eleocharis. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published online. Accessed: 12 Dec. 2015.
Vernacular names
беларуская: Балотніца
English: Spike Rushes
eesti: Alss
suomi: Luikat
中文（简体）: 荸荠属
中文（繁體）: 荸薺屬
Eleocharis is a virtually cosmopolitan genus of 250 or more species of flowering plants in the sedge family, Cyperaceae.[2] The name is derived from the Greek words ἕλειος (heleios), meaning "marsh dweller," and χάρις (charis), meaning "grace."[3] Members of the genus are known commonly as spikerushes or spikesedges. The genus has a geographically cosmopolitan distribution, with centers of diversity in the Amazon Rainforest and adjacent eastern slopes of the South American Andes, northern Australia, eastern North America, California, Southern Africa, and subtropical Asia. The vast majority of Eleocharis species grow in aquatic or mesic habitats from sea level to higher than 5,000 meters in elevation (in the tropical Andes).[4]
The genus itself is relatively easy to recognize; all Eleocharis species have photosynthetic stems but no green leaves (the leaves have been reduced to sheaths surrounding the base of the stems). Many species are robust, rhizomatously-spreading plants of lowland tropical wetlands, while many others are small caespitose annual or perennial herbs growing near streams, and still others are intermediate. There are also a number of species that are obligate aquatic species, which usually have submerged, branching stems and often exhibit interesting photosynthetic adaptations, such as the ability to switch between C3 and C4 carbon fixation in response to different environmental stimuli. In all Eleocharis species, the flowers are borne on unbranched terminal spikelets at the apices of stems.[5][6][7][8]
In spite of the diversity of the genus itself, taxonomic characters useful for delimiting species within it are few, and many species are very difficult to tell apart. Many currently recognized species with very wide geographic ranges are highly polymorphic. Some of these species probably contain multiple independently evolving lineages. Because of their difficult nature, it is suggested that many botanists avoid collecting these plants and so many species are under-represented in the botanical record.
One of the best known species is the Chinese water chestnut, Eleocharis dulcis. These plants bear tubers on their rhizomes which may be peeled and eaten raw or boiled. In Australia, magpie geese rely almost exclusively on these tubers for sustenance for a significant portion of the year.
Selected species
Eleocharis acicularis (L.) Roem. & Schult. – needle spikerush; dwarf hairgrass
Eleocharis acuta R.Br.
Eleocharis acutangula (Roxb.) Schult.
Eleocharis afflata Steud.
Eleocharis atropurpurea (Retz.) J.Presl & C.Presl – purple spikerush
Eleocharis baldwinii (Torr.) Chapm.
Eleocharis bella (Piper) Svenson – beautiful spikerush
Eleocharis bifida S.G. Smith glade spikerush
Eleocharis bolanderi A.Gray – Bolander's spikerush
Eleocharis brassii S.T.Blake
Eleocharis brittonii Svenson ex Small
Eleocharis caespitosissima Baker
Eleocharis cellulosa Torr. – coastal spikerush, Gulf Coast spikerush
Eleocharis compressa Sull. – flatstem spikerush
Eleocharis confervoides (Poir.) Steud.
Eleocharis congesta D.Don
Eleocharis cylindrostachys Boeckler
Eleocharis dietrichiana Boeckler
Eleocharis dulcis (Burm.f.) Trin. ex Hensch. – Chinese water chestnut
Eleocharis elegans (Kunth) Roem. & Schult.
Eleocharis equisetoides (Elliott) Torr.
Eleocharis erythropoda Steud. – Red-stemmed spikerush
Eleocharis filiculmis Kunth
Eleocharis geniculata (L.) Roem. & Schult. – Canada spikesedge
Eleocharis gracilis R.Br.
Eleocharis halophila Fernald & Brackett – saltmarsh spikerush
Eleocharis jacobsiana K.L.Wilson
Eleocharis keigheryi K.L.Wilson
Eleocharis kuroguwai Ohwi
Eleocharis macrostachya Britton – pale spikerush
Eleocharis montana (Kunth) Roem. & Schult.
Eleocharis montevidensis Kunth – sand spikerush
Eleocharis mutata (L.) Roem. & Schult. – scallion grass
Eleocharis nitida Fernald – neat spikerush
Eleocharis nodulosa Schult.
Eleocharis obtusa (Willd.) Schult. – blunt spikerush
Eleocharis ochrostachys Steud.
Eleocharis pachycarpa Desv. – black sand spikerush
Eleocharis pachystyla (C.Wright) C.B.Clarke – false junco
Eleocharis pallens S.T.Blake – pale spikerush
Eleocharis palustris (L.) Roem. & Schult. – common spikerush
Eleocharis papillosa Latz
Eleocharis parishii Britton – Parish's spikerush
Eleocharis parvula (Roem. & Schult.) Link ex Bluff et al. – dwarf spikerush, hairgrass
Eleocharis pellucida J.Presl & C.Presl
Eleocharis philippinensis Svenson
Eleocharis plana S.T.Blake
Eleocharis pusilla R.Br.
Eleocharis quadrangulata (Michx.) Roem. – squarestem spikerush
Eleocharis quinqueflora (Hartmann) O.Schwarz – fewflower spikerush
Eleocharis radicans (A.Dietr.) Kunth – rooted spikerush
Eleocharis rivalis K.L.Wilson
Eleocharis rostellata (Torr.) Torr. – beaked spikerush
Eleocharis sanguinolenta K.L.Wilson
Eleocharis sellowiana Kunth
Eleocharis sphacelata R.Br. – tall spikerush
Eleocharis spiralis (Rottb.) Schult.
Eleocharis sundaica J.Kern
Eleocharis tenuis (Willd.) Schult. – slender spikerush
Eleocharis torticulmis S.G.Sm. – twist-stem spikerush
Eleocharis tortilis (Link) Schult. – twisted spikerush
Eleocharis triquetra K.L.Wilson
Eleocharis tuberculosa (Michx.) Roem. & Schult.
Eleocharis uniglumis (Link) (Link) Schult., 1824
Eleocharis vivipara Link – umbrella hairgrass[9][10]
Eleocharis wadoodii S.R.Yadav, Lekhak & Chandore
Eleocharis welwitschii Nelmes
Eleocharis wichurae Boeckeler
Eleocharis wilkensii Schuyler
Eleocharis wolfii (A.Gray) A.Gray ex Britton
References
"Genus: Eleocharis R. Br". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 2010-03-03. Archived from the original on 2013-12-03. Retrieved 2013-05-03.
Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
Smith, S. Galen; Bruhl, Jeremy J.; González-Elizondo, M. Socorro; Menapace, Francis J. "ELEOCHARIS R. Brown, Prodr. 224. 1810". Flora of North America. eFloras.org. Retrieved 2013-05-03.
Govaerts, R. & Simpson, D.A. (2007). World Checklist of Cyperaceae. Sedges: 1-765. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Flora of North America, Vol. 23 Page 4, 6, 7, 29, 60, Eleocharis R. Brown, Prodr. 224. 1810.
Flora of China, Vol. 23 Page 188, 荸荠属 bi qi shu, Eleocharis R. Brown, Prodr. 224. 1810.
Altervista Flora Italiana, genere Eleocharis includes photos plus distribution maps for Europe and sometimes for North America
Biota of North America Program, 2013 county distribution maps for US and Canadian species
"Eleocharis". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2013-05-03.
"GRIN Species Records of Eleocharis". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. Archived from the original on 2013-06-26. Retrieved 2013-05-03.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/"
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