Cyperus haspan |
Cyperus surinamensis |
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haspan flatsedge |
tropical flatsedge |
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Habit | Herbs, perennial, cespitose, shortly rhizomatous. | Herbs, annual or short-lived perennial, annuals cespitose; rhizomes absent. |
Culms | trigonous, (2–)25–60(–100) cm × 1–4 mm, soft (flattened in drying), glabrous. |
2–6, trigonous, (10–)35–80 cm × 0.5–2(–4) mm, scabridulous with retrorse prickles (infrequently glabrous or rarely also with extrorse prickles). |
Leaves | usually reduced to sheaths, occasionally with blades, flat to V-shaped, (3–)10–30 cm × (1–)2.5–5 mm. |
3–9, V-shaped, (12–)25–45(–65) cm × 2–10 mm; blades and bracts without cross ribs. |
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. |
heads umbellate, 10–20(–30) mm diam.; rays 4–12, 1–6 cm, minutely scabridulous with retrorse prickles; 2d order rays often present, 1–2(–3) cm; 3d order rays rarely present, 0.5–1.5 cm; bracts 3–8, approximately horizontal to ascending at 30°, V-shaped to flat, 2–15(–34) cm × 1–4(–5) 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. |
(6–)15–40(–65), greenish white, linear to linear-oblong, (3–)4–12(–15) × 1.5–2.5 mm; floral scales 10–50(–65), laterally pale yellow, light brown, or reddish brown, 2-keeled, medially 3-ribbed, lanceolate, 1–1.5 × 0.8–0.9 mm, distinctly reticulate, often scabridulous near apex. |
Flowers | stamens 3; anthers 0.3–0.5 mm; styles 0.4–0.9 mm; stigmas 0.5–0.8(–1.3) mm. |
stamen 1; anthers 0.5 mm; styles 0.8–1.1 mm; stigmas 0.5 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 to reddish brown, slightly stipitate, narrowly ellipsoid, 0.7–0.9 × 0.2–0.4 mm, apex apiculate, surfaces papillate or obscurely reticulate to rugulose. |
Cyperus haspan |
Cyperus surinamensis |
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Phenology | Fruiting summer. | Fruiting late spring–early fall. |
Habitat | Swales between dunes, marshes, pond shores | Moist sunny areas with disturbed soils |
Elevation | 0–200 m (0–700 ft) | 0–200 m (0–700 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; FL; GA; KS; LA; MS; OK; SC; TN; TX; Mexico; Central America; South America
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Discussion | Cyperus surinamensis is distinguished readily from all other species of the genus in the New World by the usual presence of retrorse prickles on the culms and rays. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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Source | FNA vol. 23, p. 151. | FNA vol. 23, p. 153. |
Parent taxa | Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Pycnostachys | Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Pycnostachys |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | C. autumnalis, C. haspan subsp. juncoides, C. haspan var. americanus, C. juncoides | |
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 45. (1753) | Rottbøll: Descr. Pl. Rar., 20. (1772) |
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