Elegant Spike Rush

Eleocharis elegans (H.B.K.) R. & S. Syst. Veg
2:150. 1817.
Scirpus geniciilatus L. Sp. PI. 42. 1753, in part; ed. 2. 71. 1762.
Scirpus elegans H.B.K. Nov. Gen. & Sp. 1 : 226. 1816.
Eleocharis geniculata R. & S. Syst. Veg. 2: 150. 1817.
Eleocharis constricta Schultes in R. & S. Syst. Veg. Mant. 2: 87. 1824. (Brazil.)
Scirpus depressus Veil. Fl. Flum. 35. 1825. (Brazil.)
Limnochloa crassiculmis Nees in Mart. Fl. Bras. 2^: 99. 1842. (Brazil.)
Limnochloa constricta Nees in Mart. Fl. Bras. 2^ : 99. 1842.
Eleocharis crassicaulis Steud. Syn. Cyp. 81. 1855. (Brazil.)
Eleocharis singularis Steud. Syn. Cyp. 81. 1855. (Suriname.)
Eleocharis mexicana Peyr. Linnaea 30 : 14. 1859, ace. to Index Kewensis. (Mexico.)
Coarse aquatic plants, erect from a ligneous, creeping rootstock; culms terete, firm, green, 1-15 dm. high, 3-10 mm. wide, with close, usually prominent septa; sheaths reddish, truncate at the summit, usually with an inconspicuous subulate mucro; spikelets manyflowered, lanceolate to cylindric, usually acute; scales 2 mm. long, not keeled, obtuse, thin, with an opaque, brown central area and broad, scarious, light brown margin; style bifid or trifid; achene 1.5 mm. long, obovate, biconvex to slightly trigonous, yellow to brown, shining, lightly punctate-reticulate ; style-base dark brown, flattened, lanceolate, half as long as the achene-body; bristles deep brown, nearly equaling the tubercle, their common base forming a short stipe.
Type locality : Peru.
Distribution: Central Mexico; Guatemala; Honduras; El Salvador; Costa Rica; Panama; Cuba, and southward in the West Indies ; tropical South America.