Flora of North America species comparison

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Cyperus drummondii

Cyperus fendlerianus

Drummond's sedge

Fendler flatsedge, Fendler's flatsedge, Fendler's nutgrass, Fendler's sedge
Habit Herbs, perennial, cespitose; rhizomes 0.5–2 cm, often absent. Herbs, perennial, rhizomatous.
Culms

trigonous, 35–170 cm × 2–4.7 mm, scabrid on angles.

trigonous, (7–)20–70(–85) cm × (0.5–)1–1.8(–2.6) mm, glabrous or sparsely to densely scabridulous on surfaces or on angles immediately proximal to inflorescence in distal 3–6 cm.
Leaves

4–12, with readily visible cross ribs especially on abaxial surface, flat to V-shaped, 25–100 cm × 2.4–11 mm.

2–3, flat to V-shaped, (12–)20–40(–55) cm × (2–)3–5(–7) mm.
Inflorescences

heads digitate, globose, 1–1.7 cm diam.;

rays 3–5, 1–7 cm; 2d order rays absent;

bracts 3–5, horizontal to ascending at 30°, with prominent cross ribs, V-shaped, (4–)11–35(–48) cm × 1–6.7 mm (longest 1/2 as long as culm); 2d order bracts absent.

spikes (1–)3–4(–6), largest erect, others at base of central spike, erect spike sessile, loosely to densely cylindric to ovoid-cylindric, (12–)18–30 × (6–)12–20 mm, remaining spikes 1/2 as large;

rays absent;

bracts (2–)3–6(–10), ± horizontal to reflexed parallel to culm, (2–)6–16(–25) cm × (1.5–)2–4(–7) mm;

rachilla ± deciduous, wingless.
Spikelets

10–40, oblong to linear-lanceoloid, 5–1.8 × 1.5–2.2 mm;

floral scales 18–42, pale grayish green, turning brownish, proximally greenish or brownish, 2-keeled, weakly to distinctly 1-ribbed, proximal 1/2 2-ribbed, ovate, 1.4–1.6 × 0.9–1.4 mm, acute (sometimes mucronulate), apically glabrous, occasionally scabridulous.

(8–)15–30, spreading to ascending-appressed, oblong-lanceoloid, quadrangular, slightly compressed, 5–8(–10) × (2–)2.4–3.4(–4.2) mm;

floral scales (2–)4–6(–8), yellowish, reddish, or greenish brown, medially greenish, straight to excurved, laterally (2–)3–4(–5)-ribbed, medially (1–)3–(–5)-ribbed, ovate-orbiculate, 2.4–2.8(–3.4) × 2.4–2.8(–3.4) mm, apex obtuse, mucronate to cuspidate, stout, (0.1–)0.3–0.6 mm, medially glabrous.
Flowers

stamens 1–2;

anthers 0.8–1.2 mm;

styles 0.8–1 mm;

stigmas 0.6–0.8 mm.

anthers 0.4–0.8 mm;

styles 0.7–1.3 mm;

stigmas 0.7–1.2 mm.
Achenes

brown, slightly stipitate, oblong-ellipsoid (2.4–3.9 times longer than wide), 1–1.2 × 0.3–0.5 mm, apical beak 0.1–0.5 mm, surfaces glabrous.

finely reticulate, brown to reddish brown, ± stipelike, obovoid, 1.6–1.9 × 1.1–1.4(–1.6) mm, base attenuate to cuneate, 0.1–0.2 × 0.2 mm, apex obtuse, apiculate, surfaces glabrous.

Cyperus drummondii

Cyperus fendlerianus
Phenology Fruiting late spring–summer. Fruiting summer.
Habitat Wet, relatively undisturbed habitats, especially flatwoods, ponds, seepage slopes, coastal prairies Clearings in montane forests
Elevation 0–200 m (0–700 ft) 500–1800 m (1600–5900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; SC; TX; Central America; South America; West Indies
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CO; NM; TX; WY; Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Cyperus drummondii has been treated as a synonym (G. C. Tucker 1994), or a variety (G. Kükenthal 1935–1936), or a subspecies of C. virens (M. F. Denton 1978b). Recent quantitative and field studies (J. R. Carter et al. 1999) provided compelling evidence that specific status is appropriate.

Compared to Cyperus virens, C. drummondii is a taller species of less disturbed habitats and has narrower spikelets, ovate scales, and fewer inflorescence bracts. Cyperus virens and C. drummondii are readily distinguished from other Cyperus species in the United States by their sharply angled, scabrid culms and conspicuously septate leaf blades.

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

Hybridization between Cyperus fendlerianus and C. sphaerolepis occurs occasionally in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico (B. G. Marcks 1972). The unnamed hybrid appears to be fully fertile and can be recognized by morphologic intermediacy.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 23. FNA vol. 23, p. 177.
Parent taxa Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Pycnostachys Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Cyperus
Sibling taxa
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. 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. 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. robustus, C. virens subsp. drummondii, C. virens var. drummondii, C. virens var. robustus Chlorocyperus fendlerianus
Name authority Torrey & Hooker: Ann. Lyceum Nat. Hist. New York 3: 437, errata. (1836) Boeckeler: Linnaea 35: 520. (1868)
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Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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