Cyperus flavescens |
Cyperus amabilis |
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pale flatsedge, yellow flatsedge |
foothill flatsedge |
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Habit | Herbs, annual, cespitose. | Herbs, annual, cespitose. |
Culms | trigonous, (2–)4–30 cm × 0.4–2 mm, glabrous. |
1–10(–25), roundly trigonous, 3–12 cm × 0.3–0.8 mm, glabrous. |
Leaves | 1–5, (blades often absent, base of culm with 1 reddish sheath bearing minute blade tooth 1–2 mm), (3–)10–18 cm × (0.5–)1.5–2(–2.6) mm. |
1–3–(4), 1–6 cm × 1(–1.5) mm. |
Inflorescences | spikes 1–3, ovoid or ± digitate, 10–30 × 8–26 mm; rays 1–4(–6), 0.5–3(–9) cm; bracts 2–3, approximately horizontal, 1–12 cm × 0.5–2.5 mm. |
if rays absent heads single, dense, sessile, digitate, 5–20 × 10–30 mm, single heads 10–30(–50) mm; rays usually absent, if present 1–8 cm; 2d order rays infrequently present, 1–2 cm; bracts 3–6, erect to oblique, flat to V-shaped,(0.5–)2–10(–15) cm × 0.5–2 mm. |
Spikelets | 1–6, compressed, oblong-lanceoloid, 5–15 × (2–)2.3–2.8 mm; floral scales (4–)8–24, closely imbricate, laterally yellow to yellowish brown, margins light brown to clear, medially green, laterally ribless, medially 2–3-ribbed, 2-keeled basally, ovate, (1.5–)1.8–2.2 × 1.8 mm, apex obtuse. |
5–10(–20), linear to linear-lanceoloid, (5–)8–12(–35) × 1.6–2.3(–2.5) mm; floral scales (6–)16–30(–76), laterally glossy reddish brown to brown, medially greenish, sometimes also reddish or brownish, laterally ribless, medially strongly 3-ribbed, ovate-lanceolate, 1.9–2(–2.3) mm (including prominent excurved cusp of 0.3–0.5 mm) × 0.8–1.1 mm, apex truncate, emarginate, or cuspidate. |
Flowers | stamens 3; anthers 0.4 mm, connectives not prolonged; styles 0.5–1 mm; stigmas 0.5–0.8 mm. |
stamens (1–)2–3; anthers ellipsoid, 0.3 mm, connectives not prolonged; styles 0.3–0.4 mm; stigmas 0.4–0.7 mm. |
Achenes | jet black to reddish brown, slightly stipitate, obovoid, 1–1.2 × 0.8 mm, apex apiculate, surface with network of rectangular longitudinally elongate cells and transverse undulations. |
brown, slightly stipitate, obovoid to oblong, 0.8–0.9 × 0.4–0.5 mm, apex abruptly apiculate, surfaces papillose. |
Cyperus flavescens |
Cyperus amabilis |
|
Phenology | Fruiting summer–early fall. | Fruiting summer. |
Habitat | Damp, often disturbed soils | Seasonally wet, sandy soils |
Elevation | 0–800 m (0–2600 ft) | 500 m (1600 ft) |
Distribution |
AL; AR; CA; DC; DE; FL; GA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; MI; MO; MS; NC; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; SC; TN; TX; VA; WV; ON; South America; West Indies; Eurasia; Africa
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AZ; Mexico; Central America; South America; Asia; Africa |
Discussion | North American populations have been distinguished as Cyperus flavescens var. poiformis; their taxonomic separation was not supported by M. L. Corcoran’s (1941) careful study. Plants of Mexico and Central America consistently have purplish rather than yellowish floral scales and may be recognized as C. flavescens var. piceus (Liebmann) Fernald (G. C. Tucker 1983, 1994). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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Source | FNA vol. 23, p. 162. | FNA vol. 23, p. 158. |
Parent taxa | Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Pycreus | Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Pycnostachys |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | C. flavescens var. poiformis, C. poiformis, Pycreus flavescens | C. amabilis var. macrostachyus, C. aurantiacus, C. aureus, C. aureus var. aurantiacus, C. aureus var. macrostachyus, C. aureus var. oligostachyus, C. microstachyus, C. oligostachyus |
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 46. (1753) | Vahl: Enum. Pl. 2: 318. (1805) |
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