Eriocaulon

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Eriocaulon

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Poales
Family: Eriocaulaceae
Genus: Eriocaulon
L.
Species

See text.

Eriocaulon (pipewort) is a genus of about 400 species of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the family Eriocaulaceae. The genus is widely distributed, with the centers of diversity for the group occurring in tropical regions, particularly southern Asia and the Americas. A few species extend to temperate regions, with e.g. 10 species in the United States, mostly in the southern states from California to Florida, and only two species in Canada; China has 35 species, also mostly southern. Only one species (E. aquaticum) occurs in Europe, where it is confined to the Atlantic Ocean coasts of Scotland and Ireland; this species also occurs in eastern North America and is thought to be a relatively recent natural colonist in Europe. In the Americas, Eriocaulon is the only genus in its family that occurs north of Florida.[1] They tend to be associated with wet soils, many growing in shallow water. The scientific name is derived from Ancient Greek εριον, erion, meaning 'wool', and καυλός, caulos, meaning 'stalk'.[2]

The species are mostly herbaceous perennial plants, though some are annual plants; they resemble plants in the related families Cyperaceae (sedges) and Juncaceae (rushes), and like them, have rather small, wind-pollinated flowers.

Selected species
  • Eriocaulon acutibracteatum
  • Eriocaulon alpestre
  • Eriocaulon angustulum
  • Eriocaulon aquaticum
  • Eriocaulon atrum
  • Eriocaulon australe
  • Eriocaulon benthamii
  • Eriocaulon brownianum
  • Eriocaulon buergerianum
  • Eriocaulon chinorossicum
  • Eriocaulon cinereum
  • Eriocaulon compressum
  • Eriocaulon decangulare
  • Eriocaulon decemflorum
  • Eriocaulon echinulatum
  • Eriocaulon ermeiense
  • Eriocaulon exsertum
  • Eriocaulon faberi
  • Eriocaulon glabripetalum
  • Eriocaulon henryanum
  • Eriocaulon kathmanduense
  • Eriocaulon koernickianum
  • Eriocaulon kunmingense
  • Eriocaulon leianthum
  • Eriocaulon lineare
  • Eriocaulon longifolium
  • Eriocaulon luzulifolium
  • Eriocaulon mangshanense
  • Eriocaulon microcephalum
  • Eriocaulon minusculum
  • Eriocaulon miquelianum
  • Eriocaulon nantoense
  • Eriocaulon nepalense
  • Eriocaulon nigrobracteatum
  • Eriocaulon obclavatum
  • Eriocaulon oryzetorum
  • Eriocaulon parkeri
  • Eriocaulon parvum
  • Eriocaulon quinquangulare
  • Eriocaulon ravenelii
  • Eriocaulon robustius
  • Eriocaulon rockianum
  • Eriocaulon schochianum
  • Eriocaulon sclerophyllum
  • Eriocaulon setaceum
  • Eriocaulon sexangulare
  • Eriocaulon sollyanum
  • Eriocaulon staintonii
  • Eriocaulon taishanense
  • Eriocaulon texense
  • Eriocaulon tonkinense
  • Eriocaulon trisectoides
  • Eriocaulon truncatum
  • Eriocaulon viride
  • Eriocaulon xeranthemum
  • Eriocaulon zollingerianum

[edit] References

  1. ^ Kral, Robert (1966), “Eriocaulaceae of continental North America north of Mexico”, Sida 2: 285-332 
  2. ^ Kral, Robert (2006), “Eriocaulon”, in Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. 1993+, Flora of North America, vol. 22, New York & Oxford: Oxford University Press 

[edit] External links

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