Eriocaulon L.

Usually annual herbs growing in marshes, rarely submerge or aquatic herbs. Erect. Stems often forming a basal disc; very short and infrequently shortly rhizomatous or elongate. Leaves simple, crowded into a basal rosette or dispersed along an elongate stem, sessile, linear or acicular (filiform), margin entire, apex acute, obtuse, often glabrous. Peduncles (Scapes) few or numerous, slender, almost glabrous, rarely hairy. Sheaths loose, apex acute or obtuse, usually glabrous. Infloresences (Heads or capitula) dense hemispherical or ovoid to globose. Receptacles elongate or convex shaped, often villus. Involucral bracts in 1–3 whorls, often obovate to elliptic, hairy on the outer face or glabrous. Floral bracts often oblanceolate or obovate, hairy on the outer face or glabrous. Flowers unisexual, monoecious. Perianth scarious, compost of 2 distinct whorls; sepals free in female flowers and connate with 2–3-lobed in male flowers; petals free in female flowers, 3 small lobed seated on an elongate clavate stipe in male flowers. Stamens 6 connected with the petal. Ovary superior, composed of 3 carpels the same as number as the locular, style simple, tipped with 3 elongate stigmas. Fruits a loculicidally dehiscent capsule, ellipsoidal or ovoidal seed in each locule.