Eriocaulon decangulare
Encyclopedia
Eriocaulon decangulare, commonly known as ten-angled pipewort, hat pin and bog button, is a monocotyledon
ous plant native to the eastern United States
, Mexico
and Nicaragua
. The plant's distribution is quite irregular, with several disjunct populations and a discontinuous primary range. Most of its habitat in the United States runs along the Atlantic Coastal Plain
, but some populations also occur in more mountainous regions. It is found in areas of relatively low elevation and the plant does not occur higher than 300 metres above sea level. This pipewort is found in peat and sand that is moist to wet and associated with savannah
s, bog
s, low pinelands, ditches and the banks of cypress domes.
, but several significant outlying populations also exist in more mountainous and inland regions. It does appear to be absent from the intermediate Piedmont region
, however. The northernmost populations are in coastal New Jersey
and Delaware
, stretching south to Florida
. There is a significant break in the range along the coast in Georgia
. The range then extends along the Gulf Coast though Alabama
and Mississippi
and just enters Louisiana
. There is also a relatively large disjunct distribution in northern Alabama. The primary range breaks once more before starting again in central Louisiana, whence it extends into eastern Texas
. Southern Arkansas
supports another large disjunct distribution.
of three inland, mountainous populations found the ten-angled pipewort has a high affinity for acidic soil, ranging from a pH 4.1 to 5.2 in their samples. At all sites, 58 to 71% of all the plants it occurred with were either obligate or facultative wetland plants. Sphagnum mosses were another conspicuous element of the habitat, with 30 to 60% of the studied sites being covered with them. The results of the study suggest that Eriocaulon decangulare benefits from disturbance due to its affinity for high sunlight. The smallest population examined was in only 50% full sunlight, while the other two were in full sunlight more than 90% of the day and supported much larger populations. As such, the control of woody plant growth, either naturally or artificially, is important to maintain healthy populations of the plant. The ten-angled pipewort was found to occur with several rare or threatened wetland plants, such as Cleistes divaricata (spreading pogonia), Drosera rotundifolia
(round-leaved sundew), Carex trichocarpa (hairy-fruit sedge) and Sanguisorba canadensis
(Canada burnet), though these associations differed from site to site.
Monocotyledon
Monocotyledons, also known as monocots, are one of two major groups of flowering plants that are traditionally recognized, the other being dicotyledons, or dicots. Monocot seedlings typically have one cotyledon , in contrast to the two cotyledons typical of dicots...
ous plant native to the eastern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
. The plant's distribution is quite irregular, with several disjunct populations and a discontinuous primary range. Most of its habitat in the United States runs along the Atlantic Coastal Plain
Atlantic Coastal Plain
The Atlantic coastal plain has both low elevation and low relief, but it is also a relatively flat landform extending from the New York Bight southward to a Georgia/Florida section of the Eastern Continental Divide, which demarcates the plain from the ACF River Basin in the Gulf Coastal Plain to...
, but some populations also occur in more mountainous regions. It is found in areas of relatively low elevation and the plant does not occur higher than 300 metres above sea level. This pipewort is found in peat and sand that is moist to wet and associated with savannah
Savannah
Savannah or savanna is a type of grassland.It can also mean:-People:* Savannah King, a Canadian freestyle swimmer* Savannah Outen, a singer who gained popularity on You Tube...
s, bog
Bog
A bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....
s, low pinelands, ditches and the banks of cypress domes.
Distribution and habitat
Eriocaulon decangulare is found in the United States, Mexico and Nicaragua. In the United States it is mainly confined to the Atlantic Coastal PlainAtlantic Coastal Plain
The Atlantic coastal plain has both low elevation and low relief, but it is also a relatively flat landform extending from the New York Bight southward to a Georgia/Florida section of the Eastern Continental Divide, which demarcates the plain from the ACF River Basin in the Gulf Coastal Plain to...
, but several significant outlying populations also exist in more mountainous and inland regions. It does appear to be absent from the intermediate Piedmont region
Piedmont (United States)
The Piedmont is a plateau region located in the eastern United States between the Atlantic Coastal Plain and the main Appalachian Mountains, stretching from New Jersey in the north to central Alabama in the south. The Piedmont province is a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division...
, however. The northernmost populations are in coastal New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
and Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
, stretching south to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. There is a significant break in the range along the coast in Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. The range then extends along the Gulf Coast though Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
and Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
and just enters Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. There is also a relatively large disjunct distribution in northern Alabama. The primary range breaks once more before starting again in central Louisiana, whence it extends into eastern Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. Southern Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
supports another large disjunct distribution.
Ecology
A study in North CarolinaNorth Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
of three inland, mountainous populations found the ten-angled pipewort has a high affinity for acidic soil, ranging from a pH 4.1 to 5.2 in their samples. At all sites, 58 to 71% of all the plants it occurred with were either obligate or facultative wetland plants. Sphagnum mosses were another conspicuous element of the habitat, with 30 to 60% of the studied sites being covered with them. The results of the study suggest that Eriocaulon decangulare benefits from disturbance due to its affinity for high sunlight. The smallest population examined was in only 50% full sunlight, while the other two were in full sunlight more than 90% of the day and supported much larger populations. As such, the control of woody plant growth, either naturally or artificially, is important to maintain healthy populations of the plant. The ten-angled pipewort was found to occur with several rare or threatened wetland plants, such as Cleistes divaricata (spreading pogonia), Drosera rotundifolia
Drosera rotundifolia
Drosera rotundifolia is a species of sundew, a carnivorous plant often found in bogs, marshes and fens...
(round-leaved sundew), Carex trichocarpa (hairy-fruit sedge) and Sanguisorba canadensis
Sanguisorba canadensis
Sanguisorba canadensis, or Canadian burnet, is a perennial in the family Rosaceae native to North America, commonly growing in bogs, swamps, and roadsides from Labrador to Georgia. It grows 4–5 ft. tall, with creamy white flowers that grow in cylindrical spikes...
(Canada burnet), though these associations differed from site to site.