Cyperus hermaphroditus |
Cyperus elegans |
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hermaphrodite flatsedge |
royal flatsedge, sticky flatsedge |
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Habit | Herbs, perennial, rhizomatous. | Herbs, perennial, cespitose, shortly rhizomatous, coarse, viscous. |
Culms | trigonous, (10–)30–80(–140) cm × (0.4–)1–3(–5) mm, glabrous. |
round to roundly trigonous, 15–80 cm × 2–4 mm, glabrous. |
Leaves | V-shaped or flanged V-shaped, (5–)15–70(–90) cm × (2–)4–10(–13) mm, glabrous. |
adaxial face concave, becoming trigonous apically, 15–75 cm × 1–4 mm, margins involute. |
Inflorescences | spikes 1(–5), rather densely ovoid or oblong-cylindric, (10–)25–45(–62) × 7–22 mm, 11–21 spikelets per 5 mm of rachis; rays (3–)5–10(–17), (1–)5–12(–24) cm; bracts (2–)4–8, ascending at 30–45°, V- or inversely W-shaped, (2–)8–40(–65) cm × (1–)2–8 mm; rachilla deciduous, wings 0.4–0.5 mm wide. |
spikes ovoid, 10–20 mm wide; rays 3–8(–10), 0.5–12 cm; 2d order rays 0–3, 1–3 cm; bracts 3–7, horizontal to vertical, 2.5–5.5 cm × 1–4 mm, margins involute; 2d order bracts 0–3, 1–3 cm; rachilla persistent, wingless. |
Spikelets | (10–)50–150, oblong to linear, quadrangular, (3–)4–8(–18) × (0.8–)1–1.2(–1.6) mm; distal spikelet spreading or ascending; floral scales (1–) 3–8, pale greenish white to golden brown, deep brown, or reddish brown, medially usually green, weakly to strongly 3(–4)-ribbed laterally, 1–3-ribbed medially, ovate to elliptic, (2–)2.6–3.2(–4) × 1.2–2 mm, apex obtuse. |
3–20(–30), beige to greenish or reddish brown, strongly compressed, oblong-ellipsoid to oblong-lanceoloid, 3–15 × 2.5–3.5 mm; floral scales deciduous, 6–22, laterally pale greenish white to stramineous or reddish brown, medially pale green to yellowish green, laterally 2-ribbed, medially 3–5-ribbed, broadly ovate, (2–)2.8–3.6 × 2.4–2.6 mm, apex with slightly excurved mucro 0.2–0.3 mm, apically scabrid. |
Flowers | anthers (0.4–)0.6–1 mm; styles 0.4–1.6 mm; stigmas 1–1.5 mm. |
anthers 0.6–1.4 mm; styles 1.2–1.5 mm; stigmas 1–1.5(–3) mm. |
Achenes | brown or reddish brown, sessile or nearly so, ellipsoid, 1.4–1.8(–2) × 0.6–0.8(–1) mm, apex acute to obtuse, slightly apiculate, surfaces puncticulate. |
dark reddish brown to black, stipitate, obovoid, faces concave, flat or subtly convex, (1.4–)1.8–2 × 0.9–1 mm, base cuneate, stipe (sometimes absent) spongy, 0.1–0.2 × 0.2–0.4 mm, apex truncate, apiculate, surfaces coarsely papillose. |
Cyperus hermaphroditus |
Cyperus elegans |
|
Phenology | Fruiting summer–fall. | Fruiting summer. |
Habitat | Arroyos | Ditches, damp pastures, pond shores, riverbanks |
Elevation | 500–1200 m (1600–3900 ft) | 0–500 m (0–1600 ft) |
Distribution |
AZ; TX; Mexico; South America; West Indies |
FL; LA; NM; TX; Mexico; Central America; South America
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Discussion | An erroneous report of Cyperus hermaphroditus from Alabama was based on misidentification of C. thyrsiflorus. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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Source | FNA vol. 23, p. 186. | FNA vol. 23, p. 172. |
Parent taxa | Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Cyperus | Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Cyperus |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Carex hermaphrodita, Mariscus hermaphroditus, Mariscus jacquinii | C. trachynotus |
Name authority | (Jacquin) Standley: Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 18: 88. (1916) | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 45. (1753) |
Web links |