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Gray's flatsedge, Gray's sedge

bentawn flatsedge

Habit Herbs, perennial, cespitose, rhizomatous. Herbs, perennial, cespitose; rhizomes elongate, scaly, 2–3 mm wide.
Culms

basally cormlike, trigonous, 5–40 cm × 0.5–1.3 mm, glabrous.

roundly trigonous to terete, 30–80 cm × 1–1.6 mm, glabrous.

Leaves

V-shaped, 5–25 cm × 1–3 mm, slightly minutely scabridulous abaxially on margins, midrib.

1–6, 10–40 cm, glabrous or essentially so.

Inflorescences

spikes loosely ± globose, 6–20 mm wide;

rays 1–8 cm;

rachis 1–4 mm;

bracts 3–8, ascending, V-shaped, 3–20 cm × 1–3 mm;

rachilla deciduous, wings hyaline, 0.6 mm wide.

heads ovoid to pyramidal, 9–15 mm diam.;

rays 0 or 3–6, 0.5–4 cm, glabrous;

bracts 3–4, longest erect, appearing as continuation of culm, others horizontal to ascending, 4–17 cm × 1.5–4 mm.

Spikelets

3–18(–28), oblong-lanceoloid, compressed, 3–12 × 1.8–2.5 mm;

floral scales deciduous, 2–11, yellowish brown to reddish brown, laterally 3–4-ribbed, ovate, 2–2.8 × 1.6–2.2 mm, apex mucronulate.

25–60, reddish with contrasting yellowish or greenish edges, oblong-lanceoloid, strongly compressed, 5–6(–15) × 1.5–2.5 mm;

floral scales 10–22, laterally reddish, medially yellowish green, 2-keeled, laterally strongly 1-ribbed on each side, proximally grooved, ovate-elliptic, 1.4–2.2 × 0.8–1.5 mm, apex acute, apically scabridulous (sometimes glabrous).

Flowers

anthers 0.7–1 mm;

styles 0.4–0.6 mm;

stigmas 1–2 mm.

stamen 1;

anthers 0.6–1 mm;

styles 0.3–0.5 mm;

stigmas 0.3–0.6 mm.

Achenes

dark brown, ± stipitate, ellipsoid, 1.5–2 × 0.7–1 mm, apex obtuse, apiculate surfaces glabrous or puncticulate.

reddish brown, stipitate, ovoid-ellipsoid, 0.8–0.9 × 0.3–0.4 mm, stipe 0.1–0.2 mm, apex acute to acuminate, surfaces reticulate or subtly rugulose.

2n

= 166.

Cyperus grayi

Cyperus reflexus

Phenology Fruiting summer. Fruiting late spring–fall (May–Oct).
Habitat Coastal dunes, well-drained woods, railroad yards Muddy soils or shallow waters
Elevation 0–200 m (0–700 ft) 0–200 m (0–700 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CT; DE; GA; MA; MD; NC; NH; NJ; NY; PA; RI; SC; VA
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
FL; LA; OK; TX; Mexico; Central America (Costa Rica)
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Cyperus reflexus is recognized by its reddish scales with contrasting greenish or yellow keels and by the laterally 1ribbed scales. The lateral rib is most often situated where the reddish and yellowish parts of the scale meet. Two varieties of C. reflexus, var. reflexus and var. fraternus, have been recognized (M. F. Denton 1978b). Both varieties were noted as intermingled in the North American and South American segments of the widely disjunct range of C. reflexus. Such variation does not seem significant at the varietal level (see G. C. Tucker 1994; G. C. Tucker and R. McVaugh 1993).

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

Source FNA vol. 23, p. 179. FNA vol. 23.
Parent taxa Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Cyperus Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Pycnostachys
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. fuligineus, C. fuscus, C. giganteus, C. gracilis, C. granitophilus, 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. prolixus, C. pseudothyrsiflorus, C. pseudovegetus, C. pumilus, 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. filiculmis var. grayi, C. filiculmis var. oblitus C. arenicola, C. fraternus, C. pseudovegetus var. arenicola, C. reflexus var. fraternus
Name authority Torrey: Ann. Lyceum Nat. Hist. New York 3: 268. (1836) Vahl: Enum. Pl. 2: 299. (1805)
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