Often forming extensive stands in freshwater lakes, ponds, lagoons, and slow moving streams, this robust leafless plant is truly aquatic - it grows in the water. It easy to recognised by its stout erect stems 50 to 200cm high and 5 to 15 mm in diametre rising from a thick horizonttal rhizome and terminated by a tapering flowering spike 3 to 6 cm long or by a short, pointed, scaly tip on an otherwise obtuse apex. The stems are hollow with white cross-septra spaced along their length. Flowering spikes have overlapping, spirally arranged glumes from which the three branched white stigmas, and later, the 3 yellowish anthers, emerge. At maturity the hard round fruitand the glumes fall away from the spike leaving the central axis at the top of the stem.

HABITAT: Rooted in shellow freshwater

DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in N.S.W. Also Qld, Tas, SA, WA, New Guinea and N.Z.

FLOWERING: November-April.

Eleocharis sphacelata
Photographed in the Warriewood Wetlands by
Mrs J.C.Bennett
October 1998

Do you know which hollow reed the Aborigines used as a "snorkle" when they swam underwater to catch ducks and moorhens by the feet?
Sharon at the Coastal Environment Centre says that Eleocharis sphacelata has blockages at regular intervals up the stem and might not be completely hollow.

Medicinal Use

Eleocharis acuta was also used as a dressing for deep wounds. The leaves were thoroughly hammered and set to soak in salt water. A narcotic was made from the sow thistle stalks soaked in water and used to disinfect the wound. The hollow leaves of the spike-rush were split and spread and packed with the inner side against the wound. If the wound was on the body, paperbark bandages held the spike rush against the body. The injured person was often given a sweet drink made from manna or nectar or native "mosquito" bee ( a small bee) honey.

Melaleuca quinquinervia
Swamp Paperbark

The bark is soft and like cork and peels off in strips.