Spike rush facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Spike rush |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Eleocharis
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| Species: |
ochrostachys
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Eleocharis ochrostachys, often called spike rush, is a type of plant known as a sedge. It belongs to the Cyperaceae family, which includes many grass-like plants. This plant naturally grows in Australia and various parts of Asia.
Contents
What Does Spike Rush Look Like?
Spike rush is a plant that grows from underground stems called rhizomes. It's a perennial herb, meaning it lives for more than two years. It can also be described as a grass-like sedge. This plant usually grows to be about 0.35 to 0.6 metres (1.1 to 2.0 ft) tall and produces green flowers.
The sedge has short rhizomes and longer, spreading stems called stolons. Its main stems are smooth, stand up straight, and are quite stiff and round. These stems are typically 35 to 60 centimetres (14 to 24 in) high and about 2 to 5 millimetres (0.079 to 0.197 in) wide.
The leaves of the spike rush have thin, papery covers called sheaths. These are often a purplish color near the bottom of the plant. The flowers grow on pale green, cylinder-shaped parts called spikelets. These spikelets are wider than the stem. They are usually 10 to 20 mm (0.394 to 0.787 in) long and 3 to 4 mm (0.118 to 0.157 in) wide. They have firm, leaf-like parts called glumes. After the plant flowers, it forms light brown to grey nuts. These nuts are flat on two sides, ribbed along their edges, and shaped like an upside-down egg. They are about 1.5 to 2 mm (0.059 to 0.079 in) long.
How Was Spike Rush Named?
The plant Eleocharis ochrostachys was first officially described by a botanist named Ernst Gottlieb von Steudel in 1854. He included its description in his work titled Synopsis Plantarum Glumacearum. Over time, this plant has been known by a few other names, which are called synonyms. These include Eleocharis variegata var. laxiflora, Scirpus laxiflorus, and Eleocharis difformis.
Where Does Spike Rush Grow?
Spike rush is found in and around wet, swampy areas across a very large region. Its natural home includes coastal parts of Australia, India, China, Japan, Micronesia, and Melanesia.
In Australia, you can often find this plant in dense forests or in swamps where Melaleuca trees are common. It prefers very wet places like swamps, along creek-lines, or in damp dips in the ground. The sedge is spread out across northern Australia. It grows in parts of the Kimberley region of Western Australia, the top end of the Northern Territory, some areas of northern Queensland, and along the coast of New South Wales.
See also
In Spanish: Eleocharis para niños
