Gulf Coast Spikerush

Eleocharis cellulosa

What Is Gulf Coast Spikerush?

Physical Characteristics

Leaves:

Scales:

• Egg-shaped
• 0.2-0.23 inches long
• 0.13-0.14 inches wide
• Distinctive midrib

Flowers:

• 50-90 flowers per spikelet

Spikelets:

• Cylindrical
• 7.5-14.25 inches long
• 0.14-0.2 inches thick

Fruit:

• One seeded
• Does not open to release fruit when ripe
• Slightly bulging on both sides
• Brownish in color

Stem:

• Grow in clusters
• Hollow stems
• 1.75-2.75 feet long
• Straight
• Sheaths reddish in color

Where Does it Grow?

USDA, NRCS. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA.

Gulf Coast spikerush can be found in fresh water and mud. They occasionally form mats in shallow water.

Pros and Cons of Gulf Coast Spikerush

Docks, geese, muskrats, and nutria all eat portions of spike rushes, from seeds, to rhizomes and tubers. Submerged portions of all aquatic plants provide habitats for many micro and macro invertebrates. These invertebrates in turn are used as food by fish and other wildlife species (e.g. amphibians, reptiles, ducks, etc.). After aquatic plants die, their decomposition by bacteria and fungi provides food (called “detritus”) for many aquatic invertebrates.