Eleocharis nitida Fern.

Slender Spikerush

Habitat: Damp peaty, sandy, or rocky places.

Range: Newfoundland to southern Alaska, and south locally to Nova Scotia, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Minnesota.

Aids to Identification: Like other spikerushes, Eleocharis nitida has a slender, leafless stem terminated by a solitary, cylindrical spike. Most members of Eleocharis possess an achene (single-seeded fruit) that is crowned by a tubercle. The tubercle appears as a triangular or conical appendage, usually differing in color and/or texture from the body of the achene.

Phenology: Flowers June to August.

Family: Cyperaceae

Synonyms: None noted.

Known Distribution in Maine: This rare plant has been documented from a total of 1 town(s) in the following county(ies): Steuben.