Eleocharis minuta Boeckeler

Global description

Eleocharis minuta is a small vivacious sedge, with slender stolons more or less long, bearing stems closely spaced in clumps. Plant without leaves, the stems of which are slender, filiform, erect or often arcuate, measuring 1 to 10 cm sometimes up to 20 cm high. The inflorescence is reduced in a single spikelet, ovoid, slightly compressed, 1.5 to 4.4 mm long and 0.5 mm wide, of straw colored.
               
First leaves

Young plants are leafless, of very small size, with filiform stems that grow in closely spaced tufts.
 
General habit

Small stoloniferous grass, leafless, growing in small closely spaced tufts, more or less continuous, reaching 1to 10 cm high, sometimes 20 cm.
 
Underground system

The roots are fibrous, dense from branched slender stolons.
 
Stem

The stem is slender, filiform, full, quite soft, erect, or often arcuate, sub compressed or slightly angular, measuring 1 to 10 cm long and 1 mm in diameter.

Leaf

The leaves are absent.
 
Inflorescence

The inflorescence is reduced to a single spikelet.

Flower

The single spikelet is sub-acute ovoid, slightly compressed, 1.5 to 4.5 mm long and 1.5 to 1 mm wide, pauciflorous. The glumes are oval lanceolate, distinctly keeled, loose-fitting, greenish or reddish sometimes straw colour, 1.5 to 2 mm long. 7 bristles emerge from the base of the ovary, the style is bifid with a conical base.
 
Fruit

The fruit is a widely obovoid achene or suborbicular, 0.75 mm long, smooth, shiny, olive green in colour.

Worldwide distribution

Eleocharis minuta occurs in Austral Africa, in Madagascar and on the East cost of Australia

https://www.gbif.org/species/2717752