Herbs, perennial, 5--30 cm. Leaves linear-attenuate, (1--)2--5(--7) cm, apex subulate. Inflorescences: scape sheaths mostly longer than principal leaves, inflated; scapes filiform to linear, 0.5--1 mm wide, 4--7-ribbed; mature heads white or gray, hemispheric to nearly globose, 5--10 mm wide, soft, much flattened when pressed; receptacle pilose; involucral bracts becoming reflexed, obscured by bracteoles and proximal flowers, straw-colored to gray, suborbiculate to broadly obovate, 1.5 mm, margins entire, apex rounded to apiculate, glabrous; inner bracts, receptacular bracteoles gray to dark gray, obovate to cuneate, 1.5 mm, apex obtuse to acute, blade densely ciliate, hairs white, club-shaped. Staminate flowers: sepals 2, proximally pale, distally dark gray, opaque, linear-spatulate, 1.5 mm, apex acute, distal adaxial surfaces, margins with white, club-shaped hairs; androphore club-shaped; petals 2, unequal, narrowly triangular, short, apically ciliate with white, club-shaped hairs; stamens 4; anthers black. Pistillate flowers: sepals 2, dark gray, narrowly oblong-obovate, curved, keeled, 1.5 mm, keels with white, club-shaped hairs; petals 2, yellow-white, linear to oblong or obovate, 1--1.5 mm, apex acute, blade ciliate with white, club-shaped hairs, adaxial surfaces pilose with mixture of translucent, tapering and white, club-shaped hairs; pistil 2-carpellate. Seeds brownish, ovoid or broadly ellipsoid, 0.6 mm, indistinctly alveolate, proximal ribs often with fine pale papillae.

Flowering in spring. Sphagnous bogs and low pine savanna, seeps; 0--150 m; Ala., Ga., La., Miss., N.C., Tex.

In habit Eriocaulon texense is much like a diminutive version of E. compressum, likewise preferring deep bogs and also just as variable in the color of its bracts, bracteoles, and perianth.