30. Eleocharis microcarpa Torrey, Ann. Lyceum Nat. Hist. New York. 3: 312. 1836.
Plants usually annual, tufted, sometimes mat-forming via proliferating and arching inflorescences (stoloniferous), sometimes entirely vegetative; rhizomes absent. Culms often ascending or arching, quadrangular or broadly elliptic, 2–40 cm × 0.1–0.4(–0.6) mm, soft. Leaves: distal leaf sheaths persistent or disintegrating, pale brown, green or red-brown, streaked or mottled red-brown or purple, translucent, membranous, apex narrowly acute. Spikelets: basal spikelets absent; often proliferous, ovoid to ellipsoid or lanceoloid, terete, 2–10.7 × 1–2 mm, apex acute; proximal scale empty, persistent, amplexicaulous, dissimilar to floral scales, often longer, often resembling an involucral bract, ovate to lanceolate, midrib markedly thickened and broad and often prolonged beyond lamina; subproximal scale with flower; floral scales spiraled, colorless, whitish, or pale brown, streaked or mottled red-brown or purple, midribs green and red-brown or green and purple, ovate to elliptic, 0.8–1.5 × 0.4–0.8 mm, membranous, midrib obscure to prominent. Flowers: perianth bristles present or sometimes apparently absent; stamens 3; anthers 0.15–0.35; styles 3-fid. Achenes whitish to olive or pale brown, sometimes spotted olive or red-brown, obovoid, trigonous (or subterete), angles prominent, 0.55–0.8 × 0.3–0.5 mm, apex constricted proximal to tubercle, smooth. Tubercles green or pale brown to red-brown, trigonous.
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora): North America, West Indies.
Specimens of Eleocharis brittonii and E. microcarpa without achenes are often difficult to distinguish. More detailed study of the four apparent entities across the two species is warranted.
