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Eleocharis tricostata

Torr.

Three-angle Spikerush

G4Apparently Secure Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →
G4Apparently SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.142022
Element CodePMCYP091U0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassMonocotyledoneae
OrderCyperales
FamilyCyperaceae
GenusEleocharis
Other Common Names
three-angle 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.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-07-30
Change Date1992-11-16
Edition Date2024-08-06
Edition AuthorsOrmes, M., rev. C. Russell; rev. by S. Gottlieb; rev. Soteropoulos (2024)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences21 - 80
Rank Reasons
Eleocharis tricostata is a wide-ranging perennial graminoid in a variety of open wetlands occurring in the eastern United States from Massachusetts and New York south to Florida and west to Louisiana, disjunct in Michigan. Threats include development, rights-of-way maintenance, recreational activities (especially off-road vehicles), succession, hydrological alteration, run-off from surrounding land-use, and invasive species. Monitoring of populations should be conducted to improve our understanding of reproduction, plant abundance, threats, and trends, as well as continuing conservation measures to protect the taxon.
Range Extent Comments
Eleocharis tricostata occurs in the eastern United States from Massachusetts and New York south to Florida and west to Louisiana, disjunct in Michigan (FNA 2002, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2024). Range extent was estimated to be over 1.5 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 50 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, this species is potentially threatened by development, rights-of-way maintenance, recreational activities (especially off-road vehicles), succession, hydrological alteration, run-off from surrounding land-use (such as nutrient enrichment from agriculture or pasturage, roadsides, erosion from logging), invasive species, and other threats in some places (NatureServe 2024). There is insufficient data, including anecdotal accounts, to understand the scope and severity of threats for this taxon.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Eleocharis tricostata grows in wet sandy or peaty depressions, natural depression ponds, pond margins, pine barrens, savannas, clay-based Carolina bays, mostly coastal plains (FNA 2002, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2024).
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - ConiferSavanna
Palustrine Habitats
TEMPORARY POOLHERBACEOUS WETLANDFORESTED WETLAND
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN4
ProvinceRankNative
AlabamaSNRYes
South CarolinaS3Yes
VirginiaS1Yes
LouisianaS1Yes
MichiganS2Yes
MarylandS1Yes
North CarolinaS2Yes
GeorgiaS3Yes
MississippiS1Yes
DelawareS1Yes
MassachusettsS1Yes
New YorkS1Yes
Rhode IslandSHYes
New JerseyS4Yes
FloridaSNRYes
PennsylvaniaSXYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentUnknownUnknownUnknown
4 - Transportation & service corridorsUnknownUnknownUnknown
6 - Human intrusions & disturbanceUnknownUnknownUnknown
6.1 - Recreational activitiesUnknownUnknownUnknown
7 - Natural system modificationsUnknownUnknownUnknown
7.1 - Fire & fire suppressionUnknownUnknownUnknown
7.1.2 - Suppression in fire frequency/intensityUnknownUnknownUnknown
7.2 - Dams & water management/useUnknownUnknownUnknown
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesUnknownUnknownUnknown
8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseasesUnknownUnknownUnknown
8.1.1 - Unspecified speciesUnknownUnknownUnknown
9 - PollutionUnknownUnknownUnknown
9.3 - Agricultural & forestry effluentsUnknownUnknownUnknown

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Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (1)
South Carolina (1)
AreaForestAcres
Wambaw ExtFrancis Marion National Forest527
References (10)
  1. 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.
  2. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2024. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2024).
  3. Godfrey, R.K., and J.W. Wooten. 1979. Aquatic and wetland plants of southeastern United States: Monocotyledons. Univ. Georgia Press, Athens. 712 pp.
  4. iNaturalist. 2024. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2024).
  5. 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.
  6. Kartesz, J.T. 1999. A synonymized checklist and atlas with biological attributes for the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. First edition. In: Kartesz, J.T., and C.A. Meacham. Synthesis of the North American Flora, Version 1.0. North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, N.C.
  7. NatureServe. 2024. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  8. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2024. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2024).
  9. Voss, E.G. 1985. Michigan flora. Part II. Dicotyledons. Cranbrook Institute of Science and University of Michigan Herbarium. Ann Arbor, Michigan. 1212 pp.
  10. 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.