Eleocharis vivipara is a species of flowering plant in the sedge family known by several common names, including umbrella hairgrass, sprouting spikerush, and viviparous spikerush.

[2] It takes the form of a clump of thin stems.

A spike of flowers appears at the tip of the stem.

When it is aquatic it uses C3 carbon fixation pathways for photosynthesis.

[citation needed] This species grows along the margins of water bodies, such as ponds, marshes, and ditches.