Herbs with shortenend, cormlike stems or rhizomes; stems with vascular bundles in 1 or 2 rings.
Distribution
Widespread in tropical and subtropical regions, with a few extending into temperate habitats; usually in wetland habitats.
Floral characters
Inflorescenses indeterminate, forming a head subtended by an involucre of stiff papery bracts, terminal, on a long scape. Flowers unisexual, radial to bilateral, invidually inconspicuous, with the perianth differentiated into a calyx and corolla, and often fringed with hairs. Sepals 2 or 3, distinct or connate. Stamens 2-6, often unequal; filaments can be distinct or connate, adnate to the petals. Carpels 2 or 3, connate
Leaf characters
Leaves alternate, usually in basal rosettes, or in tufts along branching stems, simple, narrow and grasslike, entire, with parallel venation, sheating at base
Stipules
absent
Fruit characters
Fruit a loculicidal capsule
Glands
present, nectar-producing, sometimes reduced
Hairs
present, simple and uniseriate
Latex
absent
Uses
Dried inflorescenses of Syngonanthus and Eriocaulon are used in floral arrangements.
Distribution maps
(online von http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/research/APweb/ . Dort zitiert wie unter jedem Diagramm vermerkt):
Eriocaulaceae
map: from Hamann 1961; Giulietti & Hensold 1990; Fl. N. Am. 22: 2000; FloraBase 2004
