Cyperus entrerianus |
Cyperus spectabilis |
|
---|---|---|
woodrush flatsedge |
showy sedge, spectacular flatsedge |
|
Habit | Herbs, perennial, coarse; rhizomes (seldom collected) indurate, oblique, 5–12 mm wide, with fibrous brown floral scales, 1–5 cm. | Herbs, perennial, rhizomatous. |
Culms | 1–3, trigonous to roundly trigonous, (30–)40–65(–95) cm × (1–)2–3 mm. |
trigonous, (12–)30–80(–90) cm × 0.7–1.7 mm, glabrous or nearly so. |
Leaves | (1–)5–10, V-shaped, (10–)30–45(–70) cm × 3–7 mm. |
flat to V-shaped, 20–45 cm × 2–4 mm, margins and keel minutely scabridulous. |
Inflorescences | heads loosely to densely globose-ovoid, (6–)10–12(–20) mm diam.; rays 6–10(–12), 1–8(–12) cm; 2d order rays 1–4, 5–15(–23) mm; bracts (5–)6–8(–10), ascending at 45–60(–75)°, V-shaped, (5–)15–40(–55) cm × (1–)3–7 mm. |
spike 1, loosely ovoid to ovoid-ellipsoid, (1.5–)2.5–7 × (1–)1.5–3.5 cm; rays 1–4, 1–15 cm; rachis 1–2 cm; bracts 2–4, oblique or ascending, 1–15(–24) cm × 0.4–3.5 mm, keel, margins scabrid; rachilla ± deciduous, wingless. |
Spikelets | (1–)30–50(–65), greenish white, linear to broadly ellipsoid, flattened, 4–6.5 × 1.8–3.2 mm; floral scales (10–)16–20(–26), laterally clear, pale green, off-white, or light brown, medially green or light brown, laterally weakly 1-ribbed, medially 2-ribbed, basally 2-keeled, oblong-lanceolate, (1.2–)1.4–1.6(–1.8) × (0.7–)0.8–1 mm, apex acute, mucronate, distally glabrous or scabridulous. |
(3–)8–40, linear, compressed-quadrangular, 8–18 × (2.4–)2.8–4 mm; floral scales deciduous, (2–)4–12, laterally light brown to reddish brown, medially green or light brown, laterally 2–3-ribbed, oblong-ovate, 1.6–2.6 × (1.5–)1.6–2.2(–2.4) mm, apex obtuse, sometimes mucronulate, medially glabrous. |
Flowers | stamen 1; anthers ellipsoid, 0.6–0.7 mm, connective apex acute, 0.1–0.2 mm; styles 0.2–0.4 mm; stigmas 0.4–0.6 mm. |
anthers 0.4–0.6 mm; styles 0.3–0.6 mm; stigmas 0.6–1 mm. |
Achenes | brown, stipitate, ellipsoid to narrowly ellipsoid, broadly rounded or contracted basally, gradually tapered toward apex, 0.9–1.1 × 0.3–0.4 mm, stipe 0.1 mm, apex acute, surfaces finely reticulate. |
brownish, stipitate, ellipsoid, 1.6–2 × (0.7–)0.9–1 mm, stipe whitish, 0.1–0.2 mm, apex obtuse, slightly apiculate, surfaces papillose. |
Cyperus entrerianus |
Cyperus spectabilis |
|
Phenology | Fruiting summer. | Fruiting summer. |
Habitat | Roadside ditches, marshes | Arroyos, riverbanks, clearings in montane forests |
Elevation | 0–100 m (0–300 ft) | 100–1300 m (300–4300 ft) |
Distribution |
AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; TX; Mexico; South America; Central America (Nicaragua) [Introduced in North America]
|
AZ; TX; Mexico |
Discussion | Cyperus entrerianus is a recent introduction in the southern United States (earliest collection from Pensacola County, Florida, Brinker 413, MO in 1941). It has been confused with C. luzulae. The species that Boeckeler had first described 50 years earlier was accepted by G. Kükenthal (1935–1936). Cyperus entrerianus was accepted as a variety of C. luzulae by A. B. Ayers (1946); M. F. Denton (1978b) considered C. entrerianus a synonym of C. luzulae, stating that the features of these two taxa merged so completely throughout their geographic ranges that C. entrerianus could not be given specific status. Cyperus luzulae in the strict sense does not extend northward to North America. Morphologic differences between Cyperus entrerianus and C. luzulae are as follows (G. C. Tucker 1994). Cyperus entrerianus has culms 40–75 cm; inflorescence bracts ascending at 45–60°; primary rays ascending at 45–60(–75)°; 2d order rays present; heads of spikelets loosely globose-ovoid, light greenish white to golden brown; rachilla dark red with stramineous scale scars; and scale apices acute. Cyperus luzulae has culms 20–40 cm; inflorescence bracts approximately horizontal; primary rays ascending at 15–30°; 2d order rays absent; heads of spikelets densely oblong to pyramidal, bright to dull white; rachilla green throughout; and scale apices rounded. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
|
Source | FNA vol. 23. | FNA vol. 23, p. 178. |
Parent taxa | Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Pycnostachys | Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Cyperus |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | C. luzulae var. entrerianus | C. buckleyi, C. parryi, C. scaberrimus, C. spectabilis var. filiformis, C. spectabilis var. parryi, C. spectabilis var. scaberrimus |
Name authority | Boeckeler: Flora 61: 139. (1878) | Sprengel: Novi Provent., 15. (1818) |
Web links |