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Baldwin's flatsedge

rough flatsedge

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

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

with cormlike bases, sharply trigonous, 25–90 cm, glabrous proximally, minutely scabridulous distally.

Leaves

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

V-shaped, 14–40 cm × 3.5–8 mm, (pubescent on adaxial side of midrib).

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 loose, obtrulloid to obdeltoid (broadest near apex, nearly as long as wide), 20–28(–34) × (12–)15–30 mm;

rays 4–13, (1–)4–24 cm (longest ray shorter than bracts), glabrous;

bracts 3–12, ascending at 30–45°, flat, 3–25 cm × 3–7 mm;

rachilla persistent, wings 0.4–0.6 mm wide, covering 3/4 of mature achene.

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.

30–50, proximal one reflexed, distal ones divaricate, linear-lanceoloid, ± terete, (6.5–) 8–10(–17) × 0.5–0.7 mm;

floral scales persistent, 3–6(–8), appressed, stramineous (suffused with reddish purple), 4–5-ribbed laterally, ovate-lanceolate, (4–)4.4–4.9(–5.4) × 1.3–1.5 mm;

terminal scale not spinose, apex straight, excurved mucronate, or cuspidate.

Flowers

anthers 0.5 mm;

styles 0.6–1.3 mm;

stigmas 1.2–2.6 mm.

anthers 0.7–1.2 mm;

styles 1.5–2 mm;

stigmas 2–2.5 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.

brown to brownish black, narrowly oblong, (2.2–)2.5–3 × 0.6–0.7 mm, base cuneate, apex obtuse, apiculate, surfaces puncticulate.

Cyperus croceus

Cyperus retrofractus

Phenology Fruiting summer–early fall. Fruiting summer.
Habitat Disturbed, sunny areas, coastal rocks, moist thickets Roadsides, pastures, disturbed sites in sandy or clayey soils
Elevation 0–200 m (0–700 ft) 0–300 m (0–1000 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; DC; DE; GA; KY; MO; NC; NJ; OH; PA; SC; TN; VA
[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.)

For information concerning nomenclature of Cyperus retrofractus, see J. R. Carter and C. E. Jarvis (1986).

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

Source FNA vol. 23, p. 183. FNA vol. 23, p. 180.
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. 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. 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 Scirpus retrofractus, C. dipsaciformis, C. retrofractus var. dipsaciformis, Mariscus retrofractus
Name authority Vahl: Enum. Pl. 2: 357. (1805) (Linnaeus) Torrey: in J. Carey, Carices North. U.S., 519. (1847)
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