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haspan flatsedge

flatleaf flatsedge

Habit Herbs, perennial, cespitose, shortly rhizomatous.
Culms

trigonous, (2–)25–60(–100) cm × 1–4 mm, soft (flattened in drying), glabrous.

trigonous, 25–50(–80) cm × 0.8–2.6 mm, glabrous.

Leaves

usually reduced to sheaths, occasionally with blades, flat to V-shaped, (3–)10–30 cm × (1–)2.5–5 mm.

flat to V-shaped, 30–80 cm × 3–10 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 ovoid, 1.5–3 × 1.5–3 cm;

rays 4–7, 1–10 cm; 2d order rays occasionally present, 0.5–2 cm, rays often not elongate, inflorescence then capitate, 2–5 cm diam.;

bracts 4–8, horizontal to ascending at 30°, flat to V-shaped, longest 6–35 cm × (1.5–)4–8 mm;

rachilla persistent, wings 0.4–0.6 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.

(10–)20–60, reddish brown, flattened elliptic in cross section, linear-lanceoloid, 6–22 cm × (1–)2–3(–4) mm;

floral scales deciduous, 6–16, medially greenish, laterally reddish brown to brown, medially 3–5-ribbed, laterally 3–5-ribbed, ovate-lanceolate to ± orbiculate, 2.5–3 × 1.4–1.8 mm, apex acute to obtuse and mucronulate.

Flowers

stamens 3;

anthers 0.3–0.5 mm;

styles 0.4–0.9 mm;

stigmas 0.5–0.8(–1.3) mm.

anthers 0.7–1.8 mm;

styles (0.3–)1.2–2.8 cm;

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.

brownish to black, stipitate or sessile, ellipsoid to obovoid or oblong, 1.3–2 × 0.75–1(–1.1) mm, apex obtuse, apiculate or not, surfaces coarsely punctate.

Herb

, perennial, cespitose, rhizomatous.

Cyperus haspan

Cyperus planifolius

Phenology Fruiting summer. Fruiting throughout the year.
Habitat Swales between dunes, marshes, pond shores Coral sand beaches, coastal rock outcrops
Elevation 0–200 m (0–700 ft) 0–10 m (0–0 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; SC; TX; VA; Mexico; Central America; South America; Asia; Africa; Australia
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
FL; GA; Mexico; West Indies; Central America (Belize, Honduras)
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 23, p. 151. FNA vol. 23, p. 172.
Parent taxa Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Pycnostachys Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Cyperus
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. grayi, C. grayoides, 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. 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
Synonyms C. autumnalis, C. haspan subsp. juncoides, C. haspan var. americanus, C. juncoides C. brizaeus, C. brunneus, C. purpurascens
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 45. (1753) Richard: Actes Soc. Hist. Nat. Paris 1: 106. (1792)
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