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limestone flatsedge

mosquito flatsedge

Habit Herbs, perennial, cespitose, rhizomatous. Herbs, perennial; rhizomes 3–20 cm × 1–2 cm, indurate.
Culms

trigonous, 7–30 cm × 0.5–1 mm, glabrous.

stoutly trigonous, thickened, 50–300 cm × 5–30 mm, basally indurate, glabrous.

Leaves

V-shaped to flat, 5–20 cm × 1–2.5 mm.

V-shaped, with cross ribs, 40–130 cm × 10–15 mm, margins and keel scabrid.

Inflorescences

spike hemispheric, 7–20 mm wide;

rays absent;

rachis 1–3 mm;

bracts 2–3, reflexed, flat, 5–12 cm × 1–2 mm;

rachilla deciduous, wings 0.2 mm wide.

spikes appressed-ascending, narrowly cylindric, (2–)3–45 mm × (4–)7–10 mm;

rays (5–)9–12, 2–22(–30) cm; 2d order rays distinctly flattened, 1–10 cm; 3d order rays flattened, 0.5–3 cm;

rachis 2.5–4 cm;

bracts (6–)9–10, ascending at 45–75°, V- or inversely W-shaped, (5–)15–90 cm × 0.5–20 mm;

rachilla persistent, wings 0.2–0.4 mm wide.

Spikelets

30–50, compressed, oblong-lanceoloid, 4–10 × 1.7–2.3 mm;

floral scales deciduous, 5–12, dark reddish brown, laterally 3–5-ribbed, ovate, 1.5–2.2 × 1–1.6 mm, apex with mucro 0.1–0.2 mm.

(4–)10–35, appressed-ascending, compressed, linear, 7–12(–15) × 0.6–1.2 mm;

floral scales deciduous, 6–20, marginally clear, laterally brown, medially green, laterally 2–3-ribbed, medially 1-ribbed, oblong-ovate, (3.2–) 3.8–4.3 × 1.2–1.7 mm, apex spreading, acute to obtuse, mucronulate.

Flowers

anthers 0.4–0.6 mm;

styles 0.4–0.6 mm;

stigmas 1–2 mm.

anthers 0.7–0.9 mm, connective apex bright red, oblong, to 0.1 mm;

styles 0.8–1.3 mm;

stigmas 2–3.3 mm.

Achenes

black, sessile, narrowly ellipsoid, 1–1.2 × 0.5–0.6 mm, apex obtuse, apiculate, glabrous, puncticulate, or papillose.

brown, sessile, narrowly ellipsoid, 1.8–2.5 × 0.8–1.3 mm, apex ± acute, not apiculate, surfaces puncticulate.

Cyperus fuligineus

Cyperus prolixus

Phenology Fruiting spring–summer. Fruiting summer.
Habitat Coastal rocks, exposed limestone in hammocks and edges of mangrove swamps Coastal marshes
Elevation 0–10 m (0–0 ft) 0–10 m (0–0 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
FL; West Indies
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
LA; Mexico; Central America; South America
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Cyperus prolixus produces large plants, similar in habit to C. giganteus and C. papyrus but easily distinguished by flattened rays.

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

Source FNA vol. 23, p. 175. FNA vol. 23, p. 167.
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. floribundus, C. fugax, 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. 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. 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. amplissimus
Name authority Chapman: Fl. South. U.S., 511. (1860) Kunth: in A. von Humboldt et al., Nov. Gen. Sp. 1: 206. (1816)
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