Eleocharis quinqueflora Few-flowered Spike-rush

A perennial spike-rush which grows in wet base-rich habitats such as dune slacks and calcareous flushes. It is a Boreo-temperate species with a scattered, mostly western distribution in southern Britain but is more widespread in the north, particularly in Scotland. It has shortly-creeping rhizomes and often forms large colonies which have conspicuous spikelets with very dark, almost black glumes and up to 7 florets with 3 stigmas. It is rather scarce in West Glamorgan, mostly found in coastal dune slacks, e.g Whiteford and Oxwich dunes. A remarkably large population occurs in wet sandy habitats on Morfa Tip in Neath Port Talbot.

Native