Slender Spike-rush - Eleocharis uniglumis

Description

It is similar to a slim form of Common Spike-rush, but has shinier stems, which are rarely more than 1 mm thick, and has redder tinged lower sheaths. The lowest glume almost encircles the spikelet base.

Identification difficulty
Recording advice

Records from this species should be confirmed by a County Recorder for botany.  It is on the VC55 Rare Plant Register, and therefore a specimen should not be taken.  Take detailed field photos and submit to NatureSpot as soon as possible; and if you think you have found it in a new location, inform the County Recorder as soon you can. (RPR)

Habitat

Wet meadows.

When to see it

Flowers May to July.

Life History

Perennial.

UK Status

Widespread in Britain but often coastal and never common.

VC55 Status

Rare in Leicestershire and Rutland.

It was not recorded in the Flora of Leicestershire (Primavesi & Evans, 1988) or the Flora of Rutland (Messenger, 1971)

It is on the current VC55 Rare Plant Register (Hall and Woodward, 2022) as Locally Rare; recent records all from Aylestone meadows

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2025+ | 2020-2024 | pre-2020

UK Map

Species profile

Common names
One-Glumed Spike-Rush, Slender Spike-rush
Species group:
flowering plant
Kingdom:
Plantae
Order:
Poales
Family:
Cyperaceae
Records on NatureSpot:
1
First record:
02/07/2016 (Cann, Alan)
Last record:
02/07/2016 (Cann, Alan)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

10km squares with records

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