Eleocharis acicularis var. occidentalis

Needle spike rush

Family: Cyperaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Needle spike rush is a California native perennial found in northern coastal California, the Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, and Sacramento Valley in fresh wet soils and underwater habitats at elevations below 3,300 meters. Flowering from late spring to summer, this delicate rush produces tiny inconspicuous flowers. Growing with thin stems to 6 centimeters tall that have 5 to 8 distinct ridges and a corm-like base, the plant forms dense clusters in wet environments. Its stems are slender and bright green, often appearing as fine, needle-like clusters in water or muddy areas. The fruit is compact, less than twice as long as its width, contributing to the plant's subtle, delicate appearance.

Habitat: Common. Fresh wet soil to deeply submersed

Bloom period: Late spring-summer

Elevation: < 3300 m

Bioregions: NCoRO, CaR, SN, ScV

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.