Needle Spikerush
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(Eleocharis acicularis)
Needle Spikerush (Eleocharis acicularis)
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Vladimír Fuka
CC BY 4.0
Image By:
Vladimír Fuka
Recorded By:
Copyright:
CC BY 4.0
Copyright Notice:
Photo by: Vladimír Fuka | License Type: CC BY 4.0 | License URL: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ | Rights Holder: Vladimír Fuka | Publisher: iNaturalist | Date Created: 2021-10-03T09:42:12-07:00 |
Summary
Eleocharis acicularis, commonly known as Needle Spikerush, is a perennial herb that can behave as an annual in colder climates. It is native to a wide range of wetland habitats including marshes, shores of lakes and ponds, wet meadows, and stream banks across North America, Central Asia, South America, and Northern Europe. This plant typically grows to about 15 centimeters in height, with variation depending on environmental conditions such as bog presence. Needle Spikerush forms dense mats of grass-like stems from creeping rhizomes. It produces inconspicuous flowers that are less than five millimeters in diameter, arranged in single, sharply pointed spikelets at the stem tips during the summer months.
Needle Spikerush is valued for its ability to stabilize soil and filter water in natural wetland settings. It is also popular in the aquascaping hobby for creating a natural-looking underwater landscape. This plant requires full sun to thrive and can form lush carpets of greenery. It is adaptable to a range of water conditions but prefers a high concentration of carbon dioxide for optimal growth. Gardeners should manage growth where conditions favor rapid spread.CC BY-SA 4.0
Needle Spikerush is valued for its ability to stabilize soil and filter water in natural wetland settings. It is also popular in the aquascaping hobby for creating a natural-looking underwater landscape. This plant requires full sun to thrive and can form lush carpets of greenery. It is adaptable to a range of water conditions but prefers a high concentration of carbon dioxide for optimal growth. Gardeners should manage growth where conditions favor rapid spread.CC BY-SA 4.0
Plant Description
- Plant Type: Grass
- Height: 0.3-0.4 feet
- Width: 0.3-0.3 feet
- Growth Rate: Moderate
- Flower Color: N/A
- Flowering Season: Summer
- Leaf Retention: Evergreen
Growth Requirements
- Sun: Full Sun
- Drainage: Standing
Common Uses
Low Maintenance, Water Garden
Natural Habitat
Native to a wide range of wetland habitats including marshes, shores of lakes and ponds, wet meadows, and stream banks
Other Names
Common Names: Needle Spike-Rush, Dwarf Hair-Grass, Least Spikerush, Nadel-Sumpfsimse, Nadelried, Junco De Espiga, Hierba Pilosa, Pasto De Agua, Velita, Scirpe Épingle
Scientific Names: Eleocharis acicularis, Scirpus acicularis, Heleocharis acicularis, Chaetocyperus trichoides, Eleocharis acicularis var. fluitans, Eleocharis acicularis var. typica, Heleocharis triangularis, Isolepis acicularis, Limnochloa acicularis
GBIF Accepted Name: Eleocharis acicularis (L.) Roem. & Schult.