Plants of South Eastern New South Wales
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Eriocaulon scariosum
Common Pipewort, Pale Pipewort
Eriocaulaceae
Bog communities and drainage areas, often in running water. Coast, ranges, tablelands, and the ACT. Occasionally elsewhere.
Herb. Flower stalks to 0.5 m high. Leaves basal, 1–8 cm long, 1.5–2 mm wide. Male and female flowers on the same plant. Male flowers usually hairy, with 3 outer 'petals', one 'petal' linear, the other 2 'petals' spoon-shaped, sometimes fused at the margins; inner perianth shortly tubular, with 3 minute lobes appressed to the stamens. Female flowers with 2 or 3 irregular outer 'petals', one 'petal' linear or absent, the other two oblong-spoon-shaped, dark brown to black. Inflorescence dark grey, almost globular to globular, 3–8 mm in diameter, a mixture of male and female flowers, or sometimes predominantly male or female. Flowering: January–June.
All native plants on unleased land in the ACT are protected.
Rare Vic.
PlantNET description: http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Eriocaulon~scariosum (accessed 14 January, 2021)
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