Pale spikerush
Eleocharis macrostachya · Aquatic plants
A stand of it · Photo: Neptalí Ramírez Marcial / CC BY
Also called Large spikerush
How to identify Pale spikerush
- Round, leafless stems often pale green
- Single brown spikelet at the tip
- Grows in dense stands from rhizomes
- Very similar to common spikerush
Similar plants
Common spikerush is nearly identical and separated by tiny seed features; many manuals combine them.
Growth profile
| Growing season | Shoots in spring, flowers May to July and may die back early as water drops; rhizomes overwinter. |
|---|---|
| Starts growing | About 45 to 50 F soil; full sun |
| Light | Needs full sun |
| Depth | Moist shoreline to about 2 feet of water |
| How it spreads | Rhizomes and seeds |
| Habitat | Pond margins, vernal pools, ditches and alkaline flats. |
Why it matters in a lake
Common in drier valleys and on alkaline soils; often considered part of common spikerush.
Where it is found
- Idaho: Occasional
- Oregon: Occasional
- Wyoming: Occasional
Classification
| Kingdom | Plantae |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Tracheophyta |
| Class | Magnoliopsida |
| Order | Poales |
| Family | Cyperaceae |
| Scientific name | Eleocharis macrostachya |
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Baltic rushNeed a hand?
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