Common name: Stalkless Piperwort
Botanical name: Eriocaulon epedunculatum Family: Eriocaulaceae (Pipewort family)
Stalkless Piperwort is a monsoon herb found on the plateau of Sahyadri
hills. It has been only identified recently, in 2008. Leaves are arranged
in rose-like clusters, narrowly linear, tip pointed, 0.2 – 2.5 cm long,
0.1–0.7 cm broad, hairless. Flower-heads occur singly, and are stalkless,
which is unusual for piperworts, which normally have flower-heads on tall
stalks. Flower-heads are hemispherical, star-like, 0.5–1.2 cm in diameter.
Receptacles are conical, villous. Bracts just below the flowers are ovate,
4–5 × 1.8–2.2 mm, whitish. Flower bracts are narrowly ovate, spreading
star-like, 4–5.2 × 0.8–1 mm, hairy at the upper part of the inner face,
whitish. Male individual flowers have 3 petals.
Flowering: June-September.
Identification credit: Anil Kumar
| Photographed at Kas Plateau, Satara, Maharashtra. |
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