Cyperus haspan |
Cyperus niger |
|
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haspan flatsedge |
black flatsedge, brown cyperus |
|
Habit | Herbs, perennial, cespitose, shortly rhizomatous. | Herbs, perennial, rhizomatous. |
Culms | trigonous, (2–)25–60(–100) cm × 1–4 mm, soft (flattened in drying), glabrous. |
solitary or close together, trigonous, 5–40(–95) cm, glabrous. |
Leaves | usually reduced to sheaths, occasionally with blades, flat to V-shaped, (3–)10–30 cm × (1–)2.5–5 mm. |
(2–)3–7, broadly V-shaped, 3–20(–30) cm × 1.5–3 mm. |
Inflorescences | heads loosely digitate; rays (5–)10–12(–15), 1–15(–20) cm; 2d order rays usually present, (1–)6–12(–25) mm; 3d order rays sometimes present, 1–6 mm; bracts 2(–3), horizontal to ascending at 30–60°, longer (3–)6–18 cm × 2–4 mm, shorter (0.5–)2.5–6.5 cm × 1–2(–3) mm. |
spikes loosely to densely ovoid to hemispheric, 7–16 mm diam.; rachis 1–2 mm, or absent; rays 1–2, 3–45 mm; if rays absent, inflorescence sessile, dense, 6–20 mm diam; bracts 2–3, horizontal to reflexed downward, broadly V-shaped, 1–15 cm × 1–3 mm. |
Spikelets | 1–15, linear-lanceoloid, ± compressed-quadrangular, 3–18 × 1–1.6 mm; floral scales 10–20(–40), laterally reddish to greenish brown, dull, often clear-edged, medially greenish, laterally 1-ribbed, medially 1-ribbed, oblong to obovate, 1–1.5(–1.9) × 0.8–1 mm, apex mucronate, glabrous except for cluster of crystalline prickles at apex. |
(3–)5–25(–60), linear to oblong-linear, (3–)5–9 × 1.8–2.3 mm; floral scales 4–18, closely imbricate, chestnut brown, black, or brown, medially green or greenish brown, laterally ribless, medially 2(–3)-ribbed, distinctly 2-keeled basally, ovate to orbiculate, 1.5–2.1 × 1.4–2.2 mm, apex obtuse. |
Flowers | stamens 3; anthers 0.3–0.5 mm; styles 0.4–0.9 mm; stigmas 0.5–0.8(–1.3) mm. |
stamens 2; anthers 0.6–0.8 mm, connectives not prolonged; styles 0.4–0.6 mm; stigmas 0.7–2.1 mm. |
Achenes | white or reddish brown, stipitate, globose to obovoid or ellipsoid, 0.5–0.6(–0.7) × 0.3–0.4(–0.5) mm, base nearly cuneate, stipe 0.1 × 0.1–0.2 mm, apex obtuse to acute, apiculate or entire, surfaces granular to papillose. |
brown, ellipsoid, 1.2–1.4 × 0.6–0.8 mm, network of ridges forming isodiametric or square cells, slightly stipitate, apex apiculate, surfaces minutely punctate. |
Cyperus haspan |
Cyperus niger |
|
Phenology | Fruiting summer. | Fruiting summer. |
Habitat | Swales between dunes, marshes, pond shores | Swamps, ditches, wet pastures, seeps in montane forests |
Elevation | 0–200 m (0–700 ft) | 0–1200 m (0–3900 ft) |
Distribution |
AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; SC; TX; VA; Mexico; Central America; South America; Asia; Africa; Australia
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AZ; CA; NM; OK; TX; Mexico; Central America; South America
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Discussion | Six varieties (Cyperus niger var. niger, var. castaneus, var. robustus, var. lorentizianus, var. intricate-ramosus, and var. pseudo-elegantulus) were recognized by G. Kükenthal (1935–1936). Based on field observations and measurements of hundreds of collections from Mexico, where the species is most plentiful, it does not seem possible to recognize any of the infraspecific taxa (G. C. Tucker 1983, 1994; G. C. Tucker and R. McVaugh 1993). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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Source | FNA vol. 23, p. 151. | FNA vol. 23. |
Parent taxa | Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Pycnostachys | Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Pycreus |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | C. autumnalis, C. haspan subsp. juncoides, C. haspan var. americanus, C. juncoides | C. diandrus var. castaneus, C. melanostachyus, C. niger var. castaneus |
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 45. (1753) | Ruiz & Pavón: Fl. Peruv. 1: 47. (1798) |
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