Flora of the Southeastern United States

Eleocharis flavescens (Poiret) Urban var. flavescens. Common name: Pale Spikerush, Yellow Spikerush. Phenology: Jun-Sep. Habitat: Coastal Plain ponds, pools. Distribution: Delaware south to s. Florida, west to Texas; West Indies; South America.

Origin/Endemic status: Native

Taxonomy Comments: Some authors (Menapace 1993), prefer a broader concept of Eleocharis ser. Maculosae Svenson, only recognizing two varieties of E. flavescens, citing difficulty in delimiting varieties within the complex, and placing E. olivacea Torrey as a variety of E. flavescens (Gleason 1991; Menapace 1993). Numerous synonyms have been published in an attempt to categorize the broad variation in this complex. Broadly defined, E. flavescens (syn. E. flaccida sensu Svenson 1929) has purplish-brown to black achenes, while E. olivacea (E. olivacea sensu Svenson 1929) has more olivaceous-colored achenes. Var. thermalis (Rydberg) Cronquist occurs inland in w. United States.

Synonymy ⓘ: = NS; < Eleocharis flavescens (Poir.) Urb. — F, GW1, K1, Mex, NcTx, NSProv, RAB, Tat, Tx, Va, WH3; < Eleocharis flavescens (Poir.) Urb. var. flavescens — Ar, C, ETx1, FNA23, G, K4, NSProv, POWO; > Eleocharis praticola Britton — S. Basionym: Scirpus flavescens Poiret 1805

Links to other floras: < Eleocharis flavescens var. flavescens - FNA23

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Wetland Indicator Status:

• Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: OBL (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
• Great Plains: OBL (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)

Heliophily ⓘ: 9