Cyperus difformis |
Cyperus squarrosus |
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Asian flatsedge, smallflower umbrella sedge, variable flatsedge |
awn cyperus, awn flatsedge, bearded flatsedge |
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Habit | Herbs, annual, cespitose. | Herbs, annual, cespitose, with fibrous roots. |
Culms | 1–15, trigonous, 7–30 cm × 1.2–2.5 mm, soft (flattened in pressing), glabrous. |
1–20, trigonous, 2–16 cm × 0.5–0.8 mm, glabrous. |
Leaves | 2–7, flat, (2–)7–22 cm × 2.2–4 mm. |
1–3, flat to V-shaped, (1–)5–10(–15) × 0.5–2.5 mm. |
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. |
spike 1, loosely to densely ovoid to oblong, 6–20(–40) × 9–15(–20) mm; rays absent or 1–3(–6), 4–40 mm; bracts (1–)2–4, longest ± erect, V-shaped, 1–15 cm × 0.5–3 mm; rachilla ± deciduous, wingless. |
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. |
(2–)6–20(–40), greenish to reddish brown, somewhat compressed, ovoid-lanceoloid to oblong, 2.5–10(–20) × 1.3–2.2 mm (excluding awns); floral scales deciduous, (4–)10–20(–34), greenish to stramineous or brownish red laterally, greenish medially, (5–)7–9(–11)-ribbed nearly to margins, oblong-lanceolate, (1.2–)1.3–1.8(–2.2) × (0.5–)0.7–0.8(–1) mm, apex cuspidate, excurved awn additional 0.5–1(–1.3) mm. |
Flowers | stamens 1 or 2; anthers ovoid-ellipsoid, 0.1 mm, connective not prolonged; styles 0.1 mm; stigmas 0.1–0.3 mm. |
stamen 1, filaments 1.5 mm; anthers oblong, 0.2–0.3 mm, connective apex reddish, minute; styles 0.3–0.5 mm; stigmas 0.4–0.7 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. |
light brown to nearly black, stipitate, obovoid (occasionally linear-spatulate or linear oblong, infrequently constricted in middle), 0.7–0.8(–1.1) × (0.2–)0.3–0.4(–0.5) mm, stipe 0.05–0.1 × 0.1 mm, apex truncate, apiculate, surfaces papillose. |
Cyperus difformis |
Cyperus squarrosus |
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Phenology | Fruiting summer. | Fruiting summer. |
Habitat | Disturbed, muddy soils, shallow waters | Moist, disturbed soils, gravelly roadsides, flood plains, edges of puddles, muddy places |
Elevation | 0–1000 m (0–3300 ft) | 0–2500 m (0–8200 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]
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AL; AR; AZ; CA; CO; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; MT; NC; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NM; NV; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; UT; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; ON; QC; Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies; Bermuda; Eurasia; Africa; Atlantic Islands; Indian Ocean Islands; Pacific Islands; Australia
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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 squarrosus can be recognized by its small size and annual habit combined with its oblong-lanceolate floral scales bearing five to eleven conspicuous ribs and excurved awns. Some collections have been misidentified as C. acuminatus, an annual species of subg. Pycnostachys that has ovate-lanceolate, three-ribbed floral scales and digitately clustered spikelets. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 23, p. 156. | FNA vol. 23, p. 165. |
Parent taxa | Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Pycnostachys | Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Cyperus |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | C. lateriflorus | Chlorocyperus inflexus, C. aristatus, C. aristatus var. inflexus, C. aristatus var. runyonii, C. inflexus, Dichostylis aristata, Mariscus squarrosus |
Name authority | Linnaeus: Cent. Pl. II, 6. (1756) | Linnaeus: Cent. Pl. II, 6. (1756) |
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