Cyperus difformis |
Cyperus prolixus |
|
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Asian flatsedge, smallflower umbrella sedge, variable flatsedge |
mosquito flatsedge |
|
Habit | Herbs, annual, cespitose. | Herbs, perennial; rhizomes 3–20 cm × 1–2 cm, indurate. |
Culms | 1–15, trigonous, 7–30 cm × 1.2–2.5 mm, soft (flattened in pressing), glabrous. |
stoutly trigonous, thickened, 50–300 cm × 5–30 mm, basally indurate, glabrous. |
Leaves | 2–7, flat, (2–)7–22 cm × 2.2–4 mm. |
V-shaped, with cross ribs, 40–130 cm × 10–15 mm, margins and keel scabrid. |
Inflorescences | heads dense, 7–17 mm diam.; when rays short, heads sessile or nearly so, then densely irregularly lobate, 12–35 mm diam.; rays 1–5, 2–32 mm; bracts 2–4, longest bract erect or nearly so, appearing as continuation of culm, other bracts horizontal to ascending, 1–22 cm × 0.5–3.5 mm, margins and keel minutely scabridulous. |
spikes appressed-ascending, narrowly cylindric, (2–)3–45 mm × (4–)7–10 mm; rays (5–)9–12, 2–22(–30) cm; 2d order rays distinctly flattened, 1–10 cm; 3d order rays flattened, 0.5–3 cm; rachis 2.5–4 cm; bracts (6–)9–10, ascending at 45–75°, V- or inversely W-shaped, (5–)15–90 cm × 0.5–20 mm; rachilla persistent, wings 0.2–0.4 mm wide. |
Spikelets | 30–120, greenish brown to purplish brown, oblong-ellipsoid, compressed, (2–)3–5(–6) × 0.8–1.2 mm; floral scales (6–)12–20(–30), laterally clear margins, stramineous to deep purple, medially greenish, stramineous, or purplish, laterally ribless, medially 3-ribbed, obovate to orbiculate, 0.6–0.8 × 0.6–0.8 mm, apex mucronulate. |
(4–)10–35, appressed-ascending, compressed, linear, 7–12(–15) × 0.6–1.2 mm; floral scales deciduous, 6–20, marginally clear, laterally brown, medially green, laterally 2–3-ribbed, medially 1-ribbed, oblong-ovate, (3.2–) 3.8–4.3 × 1.2–1.7 mm, apex spreading, acute to obtuse, mucronulate. |
Flowers | stamens 1 or 2; anthers ovoid-ellipsoid, 0.1 mm, connective not prolonged; styles 0.1 mm; stigmas 0.1–0.3 mm. |
anthers 0.7–0.9 mm, connective apex bright red, oblong, to 0.1 mm; styles 0.8–1.3 mm; stigmas 2–3.3 mm. |
Achenes | light brown, obovoid-ellipsoid, 0.6–0.8 × 0.3–0.4 mm (as long as subtending scale), base cuneate, apex obtuse, apiculate, surfaces finely reticulate, papillose. |
brown, sessile, narrowly ellipsoid, 1.8–2.5 × 0.8–1.3 mm, apex ± acute, not apiculate, surfaces puncticulate. |
Cyperus difformis |
Cyperus prolixus |
|
Phenology | Fruiting summer. | Fruiting summer. |
Habitat | Disturbed, muddy soils, shallow waters | Coastal marshes |
Elevation | 0–1000 m (0–3300 ft) | 0–10 m (0–0 ft) |
Distribution |
AL; AZ; CA; FL; GA; ID; KY; LA; MS; NC; NJ; NM; OR; PA; SC; TN; TX; VA; Mexico; South America; West Indies (Puerto Rico); Central America (Nicaragua, Panama); Eurasia; Indian Ocean Islands; Pacific Islands; Australia [Introduced in North America]
|
LA; Mexico; Central America; South America |
Discussion | Cyperus difformis is naturalized in the New World and native to the Old World, where it ranges from southern Europe to southern Africa and eastward to Southeast Asia and Australia. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Cyperus prolixus produces large plants, similar in habit to C. giganteus and C. papyrus but easily distinguished by flattened rays. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 23, p. 156. | FNA vol. 23, p. 167. |
Parent taxa | Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Pycnostachys | Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Cyperus |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | C. lateriflorus | C. amplissimus |
Name authority | Linnaeus: Cent. Pl. II, 6. (1756) | Kunth: in A. von Humboldt et al., Nov. Gen. Sp. 1: 206. (1816) |
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