Eriocaulon nanum R.Br. APNI* Description: Small tufted herb, 1.5–16 cm high.
Leaves 1–6.5 cm long, 0.8–3 mm wide.
Inflorescence globose or hemispherical, 2–4 mm long, 3–4 mm diam., a mixture of male and female flowers. Scape 1.5–12 cm long. Involucral bracts 1–2 mm long, becoming reflexed at maturity. Floral bracts black or rarely greyish, oblanceolate, 1.1–1.8 mm long, acute, glabrous. Male flowers: 1–1.5 mm long; sepals (2)3, fused but split on one side to form a spathe which is often 3-lobed, rarely free, black, 0.8–1.2 mm long, acute, glabrous or rarely pubescent apically; petals 3, hyaline, dimorphic with larger petal at opening of spathe, acute, glabrous or pubescent, ciliate apically; stamens 6; anthers black. Female flowers: 1–1.5 mm long; sepals 2 or 3, black or rarely greyish, dimorphic, keeled and geniculate, 0.9–1.4 mm long, acute, glabrous; median sepal linear, 0.6–0.9 mm long, acute, glabrous; petals 3, hyaline, dimporphic, spathulate to narrow-elliptic, 0.9–1.5 mm long; 2 smaller petals c. 1 X 0.17 mm, acute or obtuse, glabrous or pubescent, ciliate apically; ovary 3-locular.
Seeds 0.35–0.45 mm long, with epidermal cells transversely elongated.
Distribution and occurrence: Far North Coast, only one record from near Mummulgum, but probably overlooked (collected a few km N of the State border near Applethorpe so could occur in the far NE of the Northern Tablelands); eastern Queensland. Moist margins of streams, drains and seepage areas.
NSW subdivisions: NC
Other Australian states: Qld
Text by Karen Wilson (Sept. 2021)
Taxon concept: G. Leach (2017)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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