Cyperus echinatus |
Cyperus papyrus |
|
---|---|---|
globe flatsedge, teasel sedge |
Egyptian paper-reed, papyrus |
|
Habit | Herbs, perennial, single-stemmed to loosely cespitose. | Herbs, perennial, rhizomatous, stout. |
Culms | basally cormlike, trigonous, (15–)30–100 cm × 0.5–3.5 mm, glabrous. |
roundly trigonous, 300–500 cm × 15–45 mm, glabrous. |
Leaves | flat to V-shaped, 10–65 cm × 3–9 mm, adaxial surface, margins minutely scabridulous. |
bladeless. |
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 loosely cylindric, 10–20 × 6–10 mm; rays 40–100, drooping or arching, slender, 10–30 cm; 2d order rays 8–20 cm; bracts 4–10, ± erect, V-shaped, 3–8 cm × 4–15 mm; 2d order bracts 2–5, (1.5–)4–16 cm × 0.5–2 mm; rachilla persistent, separating laterally, remaining firmly attached basally, wings 0.3–0.4 mm wide. |
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. |
6–30, slightly compressed, linear, ± quadrangular, 6–10 × 0.8–1 mm; floral scales 6–16, reddish beside 5-ribbed green medial part, white to hyaline near margins, ovate-elliptic, 1.8–2.2 × 1.2–1.5 mm, apex acute to obtuse. |
Flowers | anthers 0.4–0.8 mm; styles 0.5–0.6 mm; stigmas 1 mm. |
anthers 0.8–1 mm (connectives prolonged beyond anther as red subulate appendage 0.2–0.5 mm, apex usually setose); styles 0.2–0.4 mm; stigmas 0.8–1.2 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. |
pale brown, sessile, oblong, 0.8–1 × 0.4 mm, apex scarcely apiculate, surfaces puncticulate. |
Cyperus echinatus |
Cyperus papyrus |
|
Phenology | Fruiting summer–early fall. | Fruiting summer. |
Habitat | Disturbed, sunny sites, in mesic places, well-drained soils | Stream banks, marshes |
Elevation | 0–500 m (0–1600 ft) | 0–30 m (0–100 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
|
FL; s Europe; sw Asia; Africa [Introduced in North America] |
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.) |
Cyperus papyrus is conspicuous in the field by its great height, leafless culm, and open, hemispheric inflorescence with drooping rays. Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans prepared paper from the pith of the culms of Cyperus papyrus, which is abundant along the Nile River. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 23, p. 182. | FNA vol. 23, p. 173. |
Parent taxa | Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Cyperus | Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Cyperus |
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 | |
Name authority | (Linnaeus) Alph. Wood: Class-book Bot. ed. s.n.(b), 734. (1861) | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 47. (1753) |
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