Cyperus haspan |
Cyperus ligularis |
|
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haspan flatsedge |
Alabama swamp flatsedge |
|
Habit | Herbs, perennial, cespitose, shortly rhizomatous. | Herbs, perennial, solitary or cespitose, rhizomatous, coarse. |
Culms | trigonous, (2–)25–60(–100) cm × 1–4 mm, soft (flattened in drying), glabrous. |
trigonous, (30–)60–130 cm × 1–4(–9) mm, densely papillose, otherwise glabrous. |
Leaves | usually reduced to sheaths, occasionally with blades, flat to V-shaped, (3–)10–30 cm × (1–)2.5–5 mm. |
with cross ribs prominent, V-shaped, 30–100 cm × 5–13(–20) mm, margins, keel incisive with brownish prickles, papillose throughout, margins and midribs harshly scabrid. |
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 3–7, densely oblong-cylindric to ± globose, 10–28(–35) × 8–12(–15) mm; rays 5–12, 1–16 cm, densely papillose; bracts 5–12, ascending at 30–75°, flat to V-shaped, 4–50(–90) cm × 1–15 mm; rachilla deciduous, wings persistent, (0.2–)0.3–0.5(–0.6) 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. |
20–80, oblong-ellipsoid, ± terete, slightly compressed, 3–7 × 1–2(–2.7) mm; distal spikelets spreading or ascending; floral scales (2–)4–7, appressed, clear to brownish, reddish streaked, medially green, 9–11-ribbed, ovate, (2–)2.5–3.3 × 1.2–2.3 mm, apex acute, mucronate. |
Flowers | stamens 3; anthers 0.3–0.5 mm; styles 0.4–0.9 mm; stigmas 0.5–0.8(–1.3) mm. |
anthers 0.6–0.8 mm, styles 0.5–1 mm; stigmas 1–2.3 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. |
brown, slightly stipitate, obovoid to broadly ellipsoid, (1.2–)1.5–1.6(–1.7) × 0.6–0.8 mm, apex apiculate, surfaces puncticulate. |
Cyperus haspan |
Cyperus ligularis |
|
Phenology | Fruiting summer. | Fruiting throughout the year. |
Habitat | Swales between dunes, marshes, pond shores | Beaches, brackish marshes, mangrove swamps, disturbed soils, ditches, riverbanks, coastal croplands |
Elevation | 0–200 m (0–700 ft) | 0 m (0 ft) |
Distribution |
AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; SC; TX; VA; Mexico; Central America; South America; Asia; Africa; Australia
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FL; Mexico; Central America; South America; w Africa
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Discussion | The papillose culms, rays, and leaves of Cyperus ligularis distinguish it from all other North American species of Cyperus. Reports of Cyperus ligularis from California (G. C. Tucker 1993b) were based on specimens of C. owanii. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
|
Source | FNA vol. 23, p. 151. | FNA vol. 23, p. 190. |
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 | Mariscus rufus |
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 45. (1753) | Linnaeus: Syst. Nat. ed. 10, 2: 867. (1759) |
Web links |