Cyperus haspan |
Cyperus rotundus |
|
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haspan flatsedge |
chaguan humatag, coco-grass, nutgrass, pakopako, purple nut-sedge |
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Habit | Herbs, perennial, cespitose, shortly rhizomatous. | Herbs, perennial, stoloniferous; stolons (2–)5–12 cm × 1–2 mm, bearing tubers 3–8(–12) mm diam., wiry, springy when dried, indurate. |
Culms | trigonous, (2–)25–60(–100) cm × 1–4 mm, soft (flattened in drying), glabrous. |
trigonous, 10–35(–40) cm × 0.7–3.4 mm, basally indurate, glabrous. |
Leaves | usually reduced to sheaths, occasionally with blades, flat to V-shaped, (3–)10–30 cm × (1–)2.5–5 mm. |
V-shaped to flanged V-shaped, 5–30 cm × 2–6 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 1(–3), broadly ellipsoid, (12–)15–25(–30) × (12–)20–30(–50) mm, rays (3–)4–6(–7), 0.2–10 cm;, bracts (2–)3–5, horizontal to ascending at 45°, V-shaped to flanged V-shaped, 0.5–10 cm × 0.5–4 mm, rachilla persistent, wings 0.5–1 mm wide. |
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. |
(2–)3–7(–12), compressed, linear, 4–40 × 1.3–1.8 mm, floral scales persistent, 6–36(–42), spreading or appressed, purple to reddish brown, with narrow clear border and green midrib, 7–9-ribbed, ovate, (1.8–)2.6–3.4 × 2.2–3 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. |
anthers 1–2.5 mm, styles 1.3–3.5 mm, stigmas (1.8–)2–3.3 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. |
black, sessile, ellipsoid, abaxial face convex, adaxial face concave, 1.4–1.7(–1.9) × 0.8–1 mm, apex obtuse, surfaces puncticulate. |
Cyperus haspan |
Cyperus rotundus |
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Phenology | Fruiting summer. | Fruiting summer–fall. |
Habitat | Swales between dunes, marshes, pond shores | Croplands, disturbed soils usually |
Elevation | 0–200 m (0–700 ft) | 0–400 m (0–1300 ft) |
Distribution |
AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; SC; TX; VA; Mexico; Central America; South America; Asia; Africa; Australia
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AL; AR; AZ; CA; FL; GA; LA; MO; MS; NC; NM; SC; TN; TX; VA; Mexico; Central America; South America; Asia; Africa; Australia
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Discussion | Cyperus rotundus is documented in Connecticut, Delaware, New York, and Pennsylvania; there is no evidence of persistent populations. Cyperus esculentus and C. rotundus are the only two species of subg. Cyperus in the New World that produce tuberiferous stolons. The two species also have persistent floral scales and persistent rachillas, a combination of characteristics not found in any other New World species of Cyperus. Cyperus rotundus is distinguished from other species of the genus in the New World by its open spikes composed of linear reddish spikelets borne on a conspicuous slender rachis. Cyperus rotundus is usually acknowledged to be the world’s worst weed (cf. G. C. Tucker 1987). In the United States, it does not grow north of the mean 1°C January isotherm. Cyperus esculentus (preceding species) is a serious weed in much of the world, especially in cooler regions where the more tropical C. rotundus does not grow. Cyperus esculentus is able to tolerate lower air temperatures (as low as -18°C). The two species apparently differ also in their thermal optima for growth. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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Source | FNA vol. 23, p. 151. | FNA vol. 23, p. 169. |
Parent taxa | Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Pycnostachys | Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Cyperus |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | C. autumnalis, C. haspan subsp. juncoides, C. haspan var. americanus, C. juncoides | |
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 45. (1753) | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 45. (1753) |
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