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Rio Grande sedge

rice-field flatsedge

Habit Herbs, perennial, cespitose, rhizomatous. Herbs, annual, cespitose.
Culms

trigonous, basally tuberous thickened, 15–40 cm × 1–2.5 mm, glabrous.

trigonous, (5–)20–60 cm × (0.2–) 0.6–2.4 mm, glabrous.

Leaves

flat to V-shaped, 10–30 cm × 1–2 mm.

(1–)3–4, V-shaped, 15–40 cm × 3–6 mm.

Inflorescences

spike 1, densely oblong to ellipsoid, 8–36 × 8–20 mm;

rays 4–12, 10–20 cm;

bracts 3–6, horizontal to ascending at 30°, V-shaped, 3–15 cm × (3–)4–5.8 mm;

rachilla deciduous, wings 0.5–0.7 mm wide.

spikes 2–5(–8), oblong to ovoid, 2–10 cm × 3–12 mm;

rays 4–8, to 11 cm;

bracts (4–)5(–7), ascending at 45°, V-shaped, (1.5–)8–30(–50) cm × 1–6 mm;

rachilla persistent, wingless (successive floral scales 0.7–0.9 mm apart).

Spikelets

(5–)20–35(–60), linear to oblong, quadrangular; 4–12(–21) × 0.7–1.2 mm, base narrowed to 0.4–1 mm;

floral scales persistent, 1–3(–5), appressed, laterally whitish to reddish brown, stramineous with reddish spots, medially green, laterally 3–6-ribbed (midrib distinctly scabrid at 30X), narrowly oblong to ovate, 2.6–4.8 × 1.6–2 mm;

apex rounded to ± acute, entire, with mucro 0.3–0.5 mm;

sterile terminal scale involute, 0.4–0.6 mm wide, uncinate;

distal floral scales with cusp 0.6–1.9.

10–30, compressed, linear to ellipsoid, 4–20 × 1.5–2.1 mm;

floral scales deciduous, (2–)6–26, laterally brown to golden brown, edges clear, medially green, 5-ribbed, outermost ribs more noticeable than others, obovate to nearly orbiculate, 1.3–1.8 × 1.2–1.8 mm, margins emarginate, apex with mucro 0.05–0.12 mm.

Flowers

anthers 0.5–1.3 mm;

styles 0.4–0.5 mm;

stigmas 0.5–0.9 mm.

stamens 2(–3);

anthers (0.2–)0.3–0.4 mm, connective tips reddish, less than 0.1 mm;

styles less than 0.1 mm;

stigmas 0.2–0.4 mm.

Achenes

light brown to reddish brown, sessile to slightly stipitate, narrowly ellipsoid, 1.8–2.4 × 0.6–0.8 mm, apex slightly apiculate, surfaces puncticulate.

brown, slightly stipitate, obovoid, 1.2–1.4 × 0.5–0.7 mm, apex apiculate, surfaces puncticulate.

Cyperus floribundus

Cyperus iria

Phenology Fruiting mid summer–early fall (Jul–Sep). Fruiting summer–fall (Jul–Oct).
Habitat Damp, disturbed soils, croplands Damp to moderately dry, disturbed soils
Elevation 0–1000 m (0–3300 ft) 0–500 m (0–1600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
TX; Mexico
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; CA; CT; FL; GA; IL; LA; MD; MO; MS; NC; NY; OK; SC; TN; TX; VA; WV; Mexico; Central America; South America; Asia; Africa; Australia [Introduced in North America]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Included previously in Cyperus retroflexus (or its synonym C. uniflorus), C. floribundus has a much narrower geographic range (southern Texas and northeastern Mexico) and differs in features of spikelet morphology (J. R. Carter and S. D. Jones 1997).

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

Cyperus iria was first recorded in the New World from the southeastern United States in the 1840s.

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

Source FNA vol. 23. FNA vol. 23, p. 166.
Parent taxa Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Cyperus Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Cyperus
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. 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. 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. 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
Synonyms C. uniflorus var. floribundus, C. uniflorus
Name authority (Kükenthal) J. Rich. Carter & S. D. Jones: Rhodora 99: 330. (1998) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 45. (1753)
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