Eleocharis ~ some other genera with similar-looking species

⇒Trichophorum (deergrasses): upper leaves have a short leaf-blade! Eleocharis has leafless sheaths

Isolepis (some club-rushes): often more than a single spikelet per head; spikelet(s) apparently lateral, with a short or longer overtopping bract present; some leaves have leaf-blades

Blysmus (flat-sdges) & Schoenus (bog-rushes): spike actually consisting of several spikelets, either closely alternate (Blysmus) or in a tight cluster (Schoenus), which might look like a single spikelet; 1 or more bracts present; leaf-blades present on stem-leaves

Carex – those which have a single spikelet (dioica; pauciflora; pulicaris, etc.): stem-leaves have distinct (and often long) leaf-blades; leafy shoots also present; nuts are not exposed but each is enclosed in a flask-like structure, the utricle

Juncus (rushes) with unbranched inflorescence (triglumis, etc.): ripe head with few large capsules containing tiny seeds; bracts present; stem-leaves with leaf-blades


[I'll get round to illustrating this page at some point... Any other groups/species worth mentioning?]

Links to the other Eleocharis spike-rush pages