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Baldwin's flatsedge

red-root cyperus, red-root flat sedge, redroot nutgrass

Habit Herbs perennial, cespitose. Herbs, annual, cespitose.
Culms

trigonous, (4–)14–45 cm × 1–2 mm, glabrous.

trigonous to roundly trigonous, (0.5–)5–25(–105) cm × 1–2.5(–7.5) mm, glabrous.

Leaves

yellow-green, flat, 18–44 cm × 3–4.5 mm.

flat to inversely W-shaped, 5–25(–90) cm × 2–5(–11) mm.

Inflorescences

spikes densely to loosely globose to ovoid, 10–20 mm wide;

rays (3–)5–9(–14), 1–15(–26) cm;

rachis 3–6(–9) mm;

bracts (4–)6–9(–11), horizontal to ascending at 45°, flat, 1–30 cm × 0.5–4 mm;

rachilla deciduous, wings persistent, 0.3–0.5(–0.8) mm wide.

spikes 1–3(–6), rather densely cylindric-ovoid, (4–)10–30(–45) × (6–)10–16(–23) mm;

rays 2–6(–12), 1–8(–28) cm;

bracts (3–)5–7(–11), horizontal to ascending at 30°, inversely W-shaped, (3–)10–20(–70) cm × 1–3(–12) mm;

rachilla persistent, at maturity becoming laterally free, remaining firmly attached proximally, wings 0.3(–0.4) mm wide.

Spikelets

(10–)30–50, oblong to lanceoloid, quadrangular to subterete, compressed, 4–8 × 1–1.3 mm;

distal spikelet spreading or ascending;

floral scales persistent, (1–)2–4(–6), appressed, whitish with red speckles, laterally 2–4-ribbed, ovate, 2.3–3.6 × 1.8–2.2 mm.

(20–)40–80, linear, quadrangular, 3–8(–11) × 1–1.5 mm;

floral scales deciduous, 6–16(–30), appressed, laterally light brown with reddish speckles, medially greenish, laterally ribless, medially 3-ribbed, oblong-ovate to obovate, quadrangular to subterete, 1.3–1.5 × 0.8–1.2 mm, apex obtuse, mucronulate.

Flowers

anthers 0.5 mm;

styles 0.6–1.3 mm;

stigmas 1.2–2.6 mm.

anthers 0.2–0.3 mm, connectives 0.1 mm;

styles 0.7–0.8 mm;

stigmas 0.4 mm.

Achenes

reddish brown to nearly black, sessile, oblong, ellipsoid, 2–2.4 × 0.4–0.5(–0.7) mm, apex ± truncate-emarginate, apiculate, surfaces puncticulate.

light grayish to brown, sessile, ovoid, (0.4–)0.7–1 × 0.4–0.6 mm, apex rounded, apiculate, surfaces glabrous.

Cyperus croceus

Cyperus erythrorhizos

Phenology Fruiting summer–early fall. Fruiting summer.
Habitat Disturbed, sunny areas, coastal rocks, moist thickets Emergent shorelines
Elevation 0–200 m (0–700 ft) 0–1500 m (0–4900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; DE; FL; GA; LA; MD; MO; MS; NC; NJ; OK; PA; SC; TN; TX; VA; WV; Mexico; Central America; West Indies; South America (Venezuela)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; AZ; CA; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; NC; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NM; NV; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; UT; VA; WA; WI; WV; MB; ON; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Cyperus globulosus Aublet is a synonym of C. luzulae (Linnaeus) Rottbøll ex Retzius, which is a widespread neotropical species, and it has long been misapplied to Cyperus croceus (G. C. Tucker 1987).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 23, p. 183. FNA vol. 23, p. 172.
Parent taxa Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Cyperus Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Cyperus
Sibling taxa
C. acuminatus, C. aggregatus, C. alopecuroides, C. amabilis, C. articulatus, C. bipartitus, C. cephalanthus, C. compressus, C. cuspidatus, C. dentatus, C. dentoniae, C. diandrus, C. difformis, C. digitatus, C. dipsaceus, C. distans, C. distinctus, C. drummondii, C. echinatus, C. elegans, C. entrerianus, C. eragrostis, C. erythrorhizos, C. esculentus, C. fendlerianus, C. filicinus, C. filiculmis, C. filiformis, C. flavescens, C. flavicomus, C. floribundus, C. fugax, C. fuligineus, C. fuscus, C. giganteus, C. gracilis, C. granitophilus, C. grayi, C. grayoides, C. haspan, C. hermaphroditus, C. houghtonii, C. hypopitys, C. hystricinus, C. involucratus, C. iria, C. laevigatus, C. lancastriensis, C. lanceolatus, C. lecontei, C. lentiginosus, C. ligularis, C. lupulinus, C. manimae, C. microiria, C. mutisii, C. niger, C. ochraceus, C. odoratus, C. onerosus, C. ovatus, C. owanii, C. oxylepis, C. pallidicolor, C. papyrus, C. parishii, C. pilosus, C. planifolius, C. plukenetii, C. polystachyos, C. prolifer, C. prolixus, C. pseudothyrsiflorus, C. pseudovegetus, C. pumilus, C. reflexus, C. refractus, C. retroflexus, C. retrofractus, C. retrorsus, C. rotundus, C. sanguinolentus, C. schweinitzii, C. serotinus, C. seslerioides, C. setigerus, C. spectabilis, C. sphacelatus, C. sphaerolepis, C. squarrosus, C. strigosus, C. surinamensis, C. tetragonus, C. thyrsiflorus, C. virens
C. acuminatus, C. aggregatus, C. alopecuroides, C. amabilis, C. articulatus, C. bipartitus, C. cephalanthus, C. compressus, C. croceus, C. cuspidatus, C. dentatus, C. dentoniae, C. diandrus, C. difformis, C. digitatus, C. dipsaceus, C. distans, C. distinctus, C. drummondii, C. echinatus, C. elegans, C. entrerianus, C. eragrostis, C. esculentus, C. fendlerianus, C. filicinus, C. filiculmis, C. filiformis, C. flavescens, C. flavicomus, C. floribundus, C. fugax, C. fuligineus, C. fuscus, C. giganteus, C. gracilis, C. granitophilus, C. grayi, C. grayoides, C. haspan, C. hermaphroditus, C. houghtonii, C. hypopitys, C. hystricinus, C. involucratus, C. iria, C. laevigatus, C. lancastriensis, C. lanceolatus, C. lecontei, C. lentiginosus, C. ligularis, C. lupulinus, C. manimae, C. microiria, C. mutisii, C. niger, C. ochraceus, C. odoratus, C. onerosus, C. ovatus, C. owanii, C. oxylepis, C. pallidicolor, C. papyrus, C. parishii, C. pilosus, C. planifolius, C. plukenetii, C. polystachyos, C. prolifer, C. prolixus, C. pseudothyrsiflorus, C. pseudovegetus, C. pumilus, C. reflexus, C. refractus, C. retroflexus, C. retrofractus, C. retrorsus, C. rotundus, C. sanguinolentus, C. schweinitzii, C. serotinus, C. seslerioides, C. setigerus, C. spectabilis, C. sphacelatus, C. sphaerolepis, C. squarrosus, C. strigosus, C. surinamensis, C. tetragonus, C. thyrsiflorus, C. virens
Synonyms C. baldwinii, C. cyclostachyus, C. echinatus var. multiflora, C. globulosus var. pseudofiliculmis, C. globulosus var. robustus, C. plankii, C. retrorsus var. robustus, Mariscus bracheilema, Mariscus brittonii C. cupreus, C. erythrorhizos var. cupreus, C. occidentalis, C. washingtonensis
Name authority Vahl: Enum. Pl. 2: 357. (1805) Muhlenberg: Descr. Gram., 20. (1817)
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