Cyperus haspan |
Cyperus papyrus |
|
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haspan flatsedge |
Egyptian paper-reed, papyrus |
|
Habit | Herbs, perennial, cespitose, shortly rhizomatous. | Herbs, perennial, rhizomatous, stout. |
Culms | trigonous, (2–)25–60(–100) cm × 1–4 mm, soft (flattened in drying), glabrous. |
roundly trigonous, 300–500 cm × 15–45 mm, glabrous. |
Leaves | usually reduced to sheaths, occasionally with blades, flat to V-shaped, (3–)10–30 cm × (1–)2.5–5 mm. |
bladeless. |
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 cylindric, 10–20 × 6–10 mm; rays 40–100, drooping or arching, slender, 10–30 cm; 2d order rays 8–20 cm; bracts 4–10, ± erect, V-shaped, 3–8 cm × 4–15 mm; 2d order bracts 2–5, (1.5–)4–16 cm × 0.5–2 mm; rachilla persistent, separating laterally, remaining firmly attached basally, wings 0.3–0.4 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. |
6–30, slightly compressed, linear, ± quadrangular, 6–10 × 0.8–1 mm; floral scales 6–16, reddish beside 5-ribbed green medial part, white to hyaline near margins, ovate-elliptic, 1.8–2.2 × 1.2–1.5 mm, apex acute to 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 0.8–1 mm (connectives prolonged beyond anther as red subulate appendage 0.2–0.5 mm, apex usually setose); styles 0.2–0.4 mm; stigmas 0.8–1.2 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. |
pale brown, sessile, oblong, 0.8–1 × 0.4 mm, apex scarcely apiculate, surfaces puncticulate. |
Cyperus haspan |
Cyperus papyrus |
|
Phenology | Fruiting summer. | Fruiting summer. |
Habitat | Swales between dunes, marshes, pond shores | Stream banks, marshes |
Elevation | 0–200 m (0–700 ft) | 0–30 m (0–100 ft) |
Distribution |
AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; SC; TX; VA; Mexico; Central America; South America; Asia; Africa; Australia
|
FL; s Europe; sw Asia; Africa [Introduced in North America] |
Discussion | Cyperus papyrus is conspicuous in the field by its great height, leafless culm, and open, hemispheric inflorescence with drooping rays. Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans prepared paper from the pith of the culms of Cyperus papyrus, which is abundant along the Nile River. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
|
Source | FNA vol. 23, p. 151. | FNA vol. 23, p. 173. |
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: 47. (1753) |
Web links |