Plants of South Eastern New South Wales

Eriocaulon scariosum

Flowering stems. Australian Plant Image Index, photographer Murray Fagg, between Captains Flat and Braidwood

Flowering plant. Australian Plant Image Index, photographer Murray Fagg, Boonoo State Forest SE of Tenterfield

Line drawings. Illustration: R Barley, a. whole plant; b. male flower; c. female flower.
Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, © 2021 Royal Botanic Gardens Board

Common name

Common Pipewort, Pale Pipewort

Family

Eriocaulaceae

Where found

Bog communities and drainage areas, often in running water. Coast, ranges, tablelands, and the ACT. Occasionally elsewhere.

Notes

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)