The
Eriocaulaceae are a
family of
monocotyledonous flowering plants in the order
Poales, commonly known as the
pipewort family. The family is large, with about 1,150-1,200 species described in 10 genera. They are widely distributed, with the centers of diversity for the group occurring in
tropical regions, particularly the
Americas. Very few species extend to
temperate regions, with only 16 species in the
United States, mostly in the southern states from
California to
Florida, only two species in
Canada, and only one species (
Eriocaulon aquaticum) in
Europe. They tend to be associated with wet soils, many growing in shallow water. This is also reported from the southern part of India and the regions of Western Ghats hot spots.