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Eleocharis robbinsii

Oakes

Robbins' Spikerush

G4Apparently Secure Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →

G4Apparently SecureGlobal Rank

Least concernIUCN

High - mediumThreat Impact

Identity

Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.149256

Element CodePMCYP091N0

Record TypeSPECIES

ClassificationSpecies

Classification StatusStandard

Name CategoryVascular Plant

IUCNLeast concern

Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

KingdomPlantae

PhylumAnthophyta

ClassMonocotyledoneae

OrderCyperales

FamilyCyperaceae

GenusEleocharis

Other Common Names

Éléocharide de Robbins (FR) Robbins' spikerush (EN)

Concept Reference

Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.

Taxonomic Comments

Distinct species.

Conservation Status

Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2

Review Date2024-08-06

Change Date2024-08-06

Edition Date2024-08-06

Edition AuthorsMary J. Russo (1993), rev. Soteropoulos (2024)

Threat ImpactHigh - medium

Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)

Number of Occurrences81 - 300

Rank Reasons

Eleocharis robbinsii is a wide-ranging perennial graminoid in shallow lakes and ponds occurring in eastern North America from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick to Ontario, Canada and in the United States around the Great Lakes and from Maine south to Florida and west to Mississippi. Threats include development, quarrying, recreational activities (especially off-road vehicles), pollution, succession, hydrological alteration, and invasive species. Little is known about trends, but with a large range extent and large number of occurrences, this species is considered secure.

Range Extent Comments

Eleocharis robbinsii occurs in eastern North America from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick to Ontario, Canada and in the United States around the Great Lakes and from Maine south to Florida and west to Mississippi (FNA 2002, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2024). Range extent was estimated to be over 3 million square kilometers using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1993 and 2024 (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024).

Occurrences Comments

By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1993 and 2024, it is estimated that there are over 250 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024).

Threat Impact Comments

This species is threatened by development, recreational activities (especially off-road vehicles), erosion or runoff from roads or logging, succession, hydrological alteration, invasive species, and other threats in some places. In the southern Appalachian ecoregion, it occurs in a restricted habitat, limesink ponds, which are subject to quarrying and draining (Southern Appalachian Species Viability Project 2002).

Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Eleocharis robbinsii grows in "shallow waters of fresh lakes and ponds with sandy-peaty soils," including "quiet waters of limesink (doline) ponds, natural lakes, millponds and semipermanent impoundments," beaver ponds, artificial lakes, ditches and drainage canals (FNA 2002, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2024).

Palustrine Habitats

TEMPORARY POOL

Other Nations (2)

United StatesN4

Province	Rank	Native
New York	S3	Yes
Wisconsin	S3	Yes
Georgia	S3	Yes
Ohio	S1	Yes
Vermont	S1	Yes
Delaware	S3	Yes
Michigan	SNR	Yes
Minnesota	S2	Yes
Maine	SNR	Yes
Alabama	S1	Yes
Connecticut	SNR	Yes
Indiana	S2	Yes
Pennsylvania	S2	Yes
Maryland	S1	Yes
New Hampshire	SNR	Yes
Mississippi	S2	Yes
Virginia	S1	Yes
Rhode Island	SNR	Yes
North Carolina	S2	Yes
South Carolina	S2	Yes
Florida	SNR	Yes
Massachusetts	SNR	Yes
New Jersey	S4	Yes

CanadaN4

Province	Rank	Native
Nova Scotia	S4	Yes
Ontario	S4	Yes
Quebec	S3	Yes
New Brunswick	S4	Yes

Threat Assessments

Threat	Scope	Severity	Timing
Unknown/undetermined	—	—	—
1 - Residential & commercial development	Restricted - small	Serious or 31-70% pop. decline	High (continuing)
3 - Energy production & mining	Restricted - small	Serious - moderate	High (continuing)
3.2 - Mining & quarrying	Restricted - small	Serious - moderate	High (continuing)
6 - Human intrusions & disturbance	Restricted - small	Moderate - slight	High (continuing)
6.1 - Recreational activities	Restricted - small	Moderate - slight	High (continuing)
7 - Natural system modifications	Restricted (11-30%)	Serious - moderate	Moderate (short-term)
7.2 - Dams & water management/use	Restricted (11-30%)	Serious - moderate	Moderate (short-term)
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases	Restricted (11-30%)	Moderate - slight	High (continuing)
8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases	Restricted (11-30%)	Moderate - slight	High (continuing)
8.1.1 - Unspecified species	Restricted (11-30%)	Moderate - slight	High (continuing)
9 - Pollution	Restricted - small	Moderate or 11-30% pop. decline	Moderate (short-term)

Plant Characteristics

DurationPERENNIAL

Economic Value (Genus)No

Roadless Areas (1)

Virginia (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Kelley Mountain	George Washington National Forest	7,590

References (11)

Fernald, M.L. 1970. Gray's manual of botany. 8th edition. 1970 printing with corrections by R.C. Rollins [of 1950 8th edition]. D. Van Nostrand Company, New York.
Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2002b. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 23. Magnoliophyta: Commelinidae (in part): Cyperaceae. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxiv + 608 pp.
Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2024. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2024).
Godfrey, R.K., and J.W. Wooten. 1979. Aquatic and wetland plants of southeastern United States: Monocotyledons. Univ. Georgia Press, Athens. 712 pp.
iNaturalist. 2024. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2024).
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
NatureServe. 2024. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
Radford, A.E., H.E. Ahles, and C.R. Bell. 1968. Manual of the vascular flora of the Carolinas. Univ. North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, NC. 1183 pp.
Southern Appalachian Species Viability Project. 2002. A partnership between the U.S. Forest Service-Region 8, Natural Heritage Programs in the Southeast, NatureServe, and independent scientists to develop and review data on 1300+ regionally and locally rare species in the Southern Appalachian and Alabama region. Database (Access 97) provided to the U.S. Forest Service by NatureServe, Durham, North Carolina.
Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2024. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2024).
Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2024. Flora of the southeastern United States. Edition of March 4, 2024. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 2203 pp.

Eleocharis robbinsii

Habitat

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