Cyperus distans |
Cyperus lentiginosus |
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Piedmont flatsedge |
Latin American flatsedge |
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Habit | Herbs, perennial, rhizomatous. | Herbs, perennial, cespitose, rhizomatous. |
Culms | single or close together, trigonous, (10–)40–80(–120) cm × 1.2–2.5(–5) mm, glabrous. |
trigonous, (1–) 20–40(–75) cm × 1–1.5(–2.5) mm, glabrous. |
Leaves | 2–5, pleated, (10–)20–50(–90) cm × 2–5(–10) mm. |
inversely W-shaped, 10–40(–70) cm × (1–)3–6(–10) mm. |
Inflorescences | spikes 1–4(–7), loose, broadly ovoid to ovoid-pyramidal, 25–35 × 25–35 mm; rays (4–)5–6(–8), (1–)3–8(–16) cm, glabrous; 2d order rays (0–)1–5, 5–15(–50) mm; bracts 4–7, ascending at 30–45°, pleated, (5–)20–40(–60) × (2–)3–8(–11) mm; 2d order bracts 1–4 per ray, 5–10(–30) × 0.5–1 mm, scabridulous; rachilla persistent, wingless (or very narrowly winged, not clasping achene). |
spikes 1(–3), broadly and loosely ovoid to oblong-ellipsoid, (15–)20–30(–50) × 20–30(–45) mm; bracts (3–)5–7(–10), ascending at 30(–45)°, inversely W-shaped, 10–30(–50) cm × (1–)3–5(–11) mm; rays (2–)3–6(–12), (1–)3–10(–17) cm; rachilla deciduous, wings ca. 0.3 mm wide. |
Spikelets | (10–)20–35(–45), seemingly flattened proximally from spreading floral scales, becoming terete apically, linear, (10–)13–18(–25) × 1.2–1.5(–1.6) mm; floral scales deciduous, (10–)12–20(–25), laterally light reddish brown to dark red, medially greenish, laterally ribless, medially 3–5-ribbed, oblong-ovate, 1.7–2(–2.4) × 0.9–1.2 mm, apex obtuse, barely reaching next scale, apex entire, emarginate, mucro at most 0.3 mm. |
(10–)25–50(–100), ± terete, (appearing compressed due to excurved apices of floral scales), (8–)12–15(–24) × (0.8–)1.1–1.4(–1.8) mm; floral scales persistent, (4–)6–8(–14), golden brown, off-white to stramineous, densely red-glandular punctate, green medially, 3–4-ribbed laterally, 3–5-ribbed medially, oblong-lanceolate, (3.2–)4–4.5 × 1.2–1.6 mm, apex blunt, mucronulate to mucronate, mucro 0.2–0.5 mm; proximal scales mucronulate, distal scales mucronate; terminal scale conduplicate. |
Flowers | anthers 0.4–0.5 mm; styles 0.3–0.6 mm; stigmas 1–1.8(–2) mm. |
anthers 0.5–0.8(–1.4) mm; styles 0.8–1 mm; stigmas 1–2 mm. |
Achenes | dark brown, narrowly oblong, (1.3–)1.4–1.6(–1.7) × (0.3–)0.4–0.5 mm, base cuneate to ± stipelike, apex acute, not apiculate, surfaces papillose. |
brown, ± sessile to stipitate, oblong-ellipsoid, 1.7–2 × 0.6–0.7 mm, 0.1(–0.2) × 0.2 mm, apex rounded, apiculate from dark purple style base, surfaces papillose. |
Cyperus distans |
Cyperus lentiginosus |
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Phenology | Fruiting summer. | Fruiting spring–summer. |
Habitat | Marshes | Thickets, open woods |
Elevation | 0 m (0 ft) | 0–50 m (0–200 ft) |
Distribution |
FL; NC; Mexico; South America; West Indies (Dominican Republic south through the Lesser Antilles); Asia; Africa |
FL; TX; Mexico; West Indies |
Discussion | Cyperus lentiginosus has been treated as a variety of C. tenuis (G. Kükenthal 1935–1936). The two taxa differ in the longer scales with cuspidate apices of C. lentiginosus, the inversely W-shaped leaves and bracts (those of C. tenuis are V-shaped), and the open spikes (those of C. tenuis are dense). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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Source | FNA vol. 23. | FNA vol. 23. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | C. elatus | C. strigosus var. gracilis, C. tenuis var. lentiginosus |
Name authority | Linnaeus f.: Suppl. Pl., 103. (1782) | Millspaugh & Chase: Publ. Field Columbian Mus., Bot. Ser. 3: 74. (1903) |
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