Eriocaulon xeranthemum Mart.

"Acaulescent herbs. Leaves rosulate, upto 3 x 0.3 cm, linear, apex acute or subacuminate. Peduncles few, upto 4 cm long, virgate; sheaths upto 2 cm long. Heads hemispherical or cuneate, c. 4 mm across, straw-coloured. Receptacles convex, glabrous. Involucral bracts erect or spreading, 1.5-2.5 x c. 0.5 mm, linear-oblong, or oblanceolate, acuminate, chartaceous, glabrous, straw-coloured. Floral bracts. c. 1 x 0.5 mm, cuneate, truncate, hyaline, hoary at apex. Male flowers: pedicels minute. Sepals cuneate, connate into a spathe of c. 1 x 0.5 mm, 3-lobed with truncate lobes, black, hoary at apex. Petals 3, subequal, minute, with a black gland in each. Anthers 6, globose, black. Female flowers sessile. Sepals 3, free, unequal, c. 1 mm long; the two lateral ones oblanceolate, obtuse, hoary at apex; the middle one linear, much narrower than the lateral ones. Petals 3, subequal, 0.5 - 1 mm long, spathulate, obtuse, hyaline, barbate, with a black gland in each. Ovary ovoid; style 3-fid. Seeds to 0.5 mm long, oblong or ellipsoid; cells of seed-coat transversely elongated; appendages setiform, 2-4 from the transverse radial walls."

"Habitat and Ecology: It is an annual plant growing in marshy places, pools on laterite, rice fields and other seasonally inundated places and also found in the crevices between wet rocks, it is locally abundant (Cook 1996). Systems: Terrestrial; Freshwater List of Habitats: 5, 5.4, 5.15, 6, 14, 14.5, 15, 15.2, 15.3"

Flowering and fruiting: July-September

"Red List Category & Criteria: Least Concern ver 3.1 Year Assessed: 2010 Assessor/s: Kumar, B. Reviewer/s: Lakshminarasimhan, P., Rasingam, L., Gunaga, S., Anitha, K., Raghavan, R., Daniel, B.A. & Molur, S. Contributors: Molur, S. Justification: Eriocaulon xeranthemum is a widespread species with few threats, hence Least Concern. Conservation Actions: No conservation actions are known to be taken for this species."