Cyperus echinatus |
Cyperus lanceolatus |
|
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globe flatsedge, teasel sedge |
epiphytic flatsedge |
|
Habit | Herbs, perennial, single-stemmed to loosely cespitose. | Herbs, perennial, cespitose, rhizomatous. |
Culms | basally cormlike, trigonous, (15–)30–100 cm × 0.5–3.5 mm, glabrous. |
trigonous, compressed, 15–75 cm × 0.5–3 mm, glabrous. |
Leaves | flat to V-shaped, 10–65 cm × 3–9 mm, adaxial surface, margins minutely scabridulous. |
1–3, 5–30 cm × 1–2 mm. |
Inflorescences | spikes densely globose to globose-ovoid, 8–17 mm wide; rays 3–12, 2–12 cm, scaberous adaxially especially distally; rachis 4–8 mm; bracts (3–)4–7, ascending at 30(–45)°, flat, 5–35 cm × 2–9 mm; rachilla persistent, wings 0.5–0.7 mm wide. |
spikes 1(–2), ovoid, 5–23 × 9–21 mm; rays 2–3(–4), 0–15 mm; if rays absent, head single, compact, sessile, (12–)15–20 mm diam.; bracts 2–3, horizontal to vertical, 2–14 cm × 0.5–3.5 mm. |
Spikelets | 50–100, oblong-lanceoloid, ± terete-quadrangular, (3.5–)4–7 × 1–1.4 mm; distal spikelet spreading or ascending; floral scales persistent, 3–5, appressed, stramineous to brownish, 4-ribbed laterally, oblong-elliptic, 3.5–4.5 × 1–1.8 mm, membranous, apex entire or emarginate with mucro to 0.3 mm. |
1–6, oblong-lanceoloid, 5–26 × 2–3 mm; floral scales 12–54, closely imbricate, laterally yellowish brown, medially pale brown, occasionally greenish, laterally 1-ribbed, medially 3-ribbed, distinctly 2-keeled basally, ovate, 1.8–2.6 × 1.4–1.7 mm, apex obtuse. |
Flowers | anthers 0.4–0.8 mm; styles 0.5–0.6 mm; stigmas 1 mm. |
stamens 2; anthers 0.4–0.5 mm, connectives not prolonged; styles 0.3–1 mm; stigmas 0.6–0.8(–1) mm. |
Achenes | brown, ± stipitate, oblong, (1.5–)1.8–2.3 × 0.5–0.6(–0.7) mm (1/2 length of floral scales), apex obtuse, surfaces puncticulate. |
brown, network of ridges forming isodiametric or square cells, stipitate, obovoid to ellipsoid, 1.1–1.3 × (0.5–)0.6 mm, apex acute to broadly rounded, surfaces minutely punctate or finely papillose. |
Cyperus echinatus |
Cyperus lanceolatus |
|
Phenology | Fruiting summer–early fall. | Fruiting summer. |
Habitat | Disturbed, sunny sites, in mesic places, well-drained soils | Marshes |
Elevation | 0–500 m (0–1600 ft) | 0–100 m (0–300 ft) |
Distribution |
AL; AR; DC; DE; FL; GA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MD; MO; MS; NC; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; RI; SC; TN; TX; VA; WI; WV; West Indies
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AL; FL; GA; LA; TX; Mexico; Central America; South America; Africa
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Discussion | The records for Rhode Island and Wisconsin are according to M. L. Horvat (1941); we have not seen specimens from those states. Cyperus echinatus is usually recognized by its tight, nearly spheric spikes; it may occasionally be hard to distinguish from C. croceus and C. retrorsus. Compared to C. retrorsus, C. echinatus has larger spikelets and longer floral scales, anthers, and achenes. In contrast to C. echinatus, C. croceus has looser spikes, shorter, broader, greenish or yellowish floral scales, shorter, more ovoid achenes, and shorter anthers. Furthermore, C. echinatus is predominantly an inland species of roadsides, pastures, and other disturbed ground; C. retrorsus is primarily a coastal species and occurs in drier, sandier sites. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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Source | FNA vol. 23, p. 182. | FNA vol. 23, p. 162. |
Parent taxa | Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Cyperus | Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Pycreus |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Scirpus echinatus, C. ovularis, C. ovularis var. americanus, C. ovularis var. sphaericus, C. ovularis var. wolfii, C. wolfii, Kyllinga ovularis, Mariscus ovularis | C. densus, C. humboldtianus, C. lanceolatus var. compositus, Pycreus densus |
Name authority | (Linnaeus) Alph. Wood: Class-book Bot. ed. s.n.(b), 734. (1861) | Poiret: in J. Lamarck et al., Encycl. 7: 245. (1806) |
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