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Drummond's sedge

marsh flatsedge

Habit Herbs, perennial, cespitose; rhizomes 0.5–2 cm, often absent. Herbs, perennial, cespitose; rhizomes upright, 5–8 mm diam., indurate.
Culms

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

trigonous, 30–50(–80) cm × 1.8–2.5 mm, glabrous.

Leaves

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

4–7(–10), V-shaped, (20–)40–60 cm × 4.5–8 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.

heads dense, hemispheric, 7–15(–18) mm diam;

or if rays absent, heads dense, irregularly lobate, 2–3.5 cm diam.;

rays 3–6, 1–30 mm; 2d order rays infrequently present, to 5 mm;

bracts (5–)10–15(–40), horizontal to ascending at 30(–45)°, V-shaped, 6–30(–40) cm × 5–8(–10) mm.

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.

40–100, greenish white, flattened, ovoid, 3.5–5 × 3–4 mm;

floral scales (8–)12–16, uniformly light greenish to light brown, laterally 1-ribbed, medially indistinctly 3-ribbed, basally 2-keeled, oblong-spatulate, widest at or above median, 2–2.5 × (0.7–)1–1.2 mm, apex minutely mucronate, scabridulous, infrequently glabrous.

Flowers

stamens 1–2;

anthers 0.8–1.2 mm;

styles 0.8–1 mm;

stigmas 0.6–0.8 mm.

stamen 1;

anthers oblong, 0.7–1 mm, connective apex subulate, prolonged 0.1–0.2 mm;

styles thick, confluent with apex of, and persistent on, achene, 0.5–0.8 mm;

stigmas 0.6–1 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.

brown, stipitate, linear, slightly curved, 1.2–1.4 × 0.2(–0.3) mm, base whitish, stipe spongy, 0.1–0.2 × 0.2 mm, apex acute, surfaces papillose.

Cyperus drummondii

Cyperus pseudovegetus

Phenology Fruiting late spring–summer. Fruiting summer.
Habitat Wet, relatively undisturbed habitats, especially flatwoods, ponds, seepage slopes, coastal prairies Damp places
Elevation 0–200 m (0–700 ft) 0–200 m (0–700 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; SC; TX; Central America; South America; West Indies
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; DC; DE; FL; GA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; MO; NC; NJ; OK; SC; TN; TX; VA
[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.)

Cyperus pseudovegetus has been called “Cyperus vegetus Willd.” (M. L. Fernald 1950). The var. megalanthus Kükenthal of eastern Mexico and Central America recognized by M. F. Denton (1978b) is now considered a distinct species, C. megalanthus (Kükenthal) G. C. Tucker (see G. C. Tucker 1994).

Cyperus pseudovegetus is introduced in Massachusetts.

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

Source FNA vol. 23. FNA vol. 23, p. 156.
Parent taxa Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Pycnostachys Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Pycnostachys
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. 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. 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
Name authority Torrey & Hooker: Ann. Lyceum Nat. Hist. New York 3: 437, errata. (1836) Steudel: Syn. Pl. Glumac. 2: 24. (1855)
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