Eriocaulon cinereum R.Br.

Acaulescent herb, annual, tufted. Leaves numerous, forming a basal rosette, linear, 1–6 × 0.01–0.02 cm, glabrous, apex acute. Scapes few or many, to 20 cm long, 0.03–0.04 cm diam., glabrous, 4(–5)-ribbed, scarcely to tightly twisted. Sheaths shorter than the leaves, 2–3 cm long, slightly inflated, shortly, obliquely split, glabrous, acute at the tip. Heads globose to conical or ovoid, 3–6 × 2.5–4.5 mm, whitish or greyish. Receptacle elongate, glabrous. Involucral bracts shorter than the head, obovate-oblong or narrowly obovate, 1.5 × 0.8 mm, apex obtuse, glabrous, pale yellowish-grey. Floral bracts oblong, lanceolate or oblanceolate, 1.5–2 × 0.8 mm, apex acute or acuminate, glabrous, pale or dark, but usually with a dark central band. Male flowers: the 3 sepals united into a dark-grey spathe, 0.6– 1 mm long, blackish towards the 3-lobed, sparsely hairy, acute apex; petals included within the sepals, 3-lobed, the lobes minute, unequal, apex acute, two laterals small and glabrous, the middle one with a few hairs, black gland absent; stamens 6, anthers white or pale yellow. Female flowers: sepals 2–3, subequal, free, linear or filiform, keeled, 0.6–1 mm long, apex acute, brown, blackish in the upper part, glabrous or sparsely hairs; petals absent; ovary sessile, 3-locular, stigmas 3. Seeds ovoid-ellipsoid, 0.25–0.3 mm long, amber; cells of seed coat transversely elongate, aligned in vertical rows, appearing almost translucent, glossy, faintly reticulate; cells hexagonal; appendage absent.