Cyperus hermaphroditus |
Cyperus pseudovegetus |
|
---|---|---|
hermaphrodite flatsedge |
marsh flatsedge |
|
Habit | Herbs, perennial, rhizomatous. | Herbs, perennial, cespitose; rhizomes upright, 5–8 mm diam., indurate. |
Culms | trigonous, (10–)30–80(–140) cm × (0.4–)1–3(–5) mm, glabrous. |
trigonous, 30–50(–80) cm × 1.8–2.5 mm, glabrous. |
Leaves | V-shaped or flanged V-shaped, (5–)15–70(–90) cm × (2–)4–10(–13) mm, glabrous. |
4–7(–10), V-shaped, (20–)40–60 cm × 4.5–8 mm. |
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. |
heads dense, hemispheric, 7–15(–18) mm diam; or if rays absent, heads dense, irregularly lobate, 2–3.5 cm diam.; rays 3–6, 1–30 mm; 2d order rays infrequently present, to 5 mm; bracts (5–)10–15(–40), horizontal to ascending at 30(–45)°, V-shaped, 6–30(–40) cm × 5–8(–10) mm. |
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. |
40–100, greenish white, flattened, ovoid, 3.5–5 × 3–4 mm; floral scales (8–)12–16, uniformly light greenish to light brown, laterally 1-ribbed, medially indistinctly 3-ribbed, basally 2-keeled, oblong-spatulate, widest at or above median, 2–2.5 × (0.7–)1–1.2 mm, apex minutely mucronate, scabridulous, infrequently glabrous. |
Flowers | anthers (0.4–)0.6–1 mm; styles 0.4–1.6 mm; stigmas 1–1.5 mm. |
stamen 1; anthers oblong, 0.7–1 mm, connective apex subulate, prolonged 0.1–0.2 mm; styles thick, confluent with apex of, and persistent on, achene, 0.5–0.8 mm; stigmas 0.6–1 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. |
brown, stipitate, linear, slightly curved, 1.2–1.4 × 0.2(–0.3) mm, base whitish, stipe spongy, 0.1–0.2 × 0.2 mm, apex acute, surfaces papillose. |
Cyperus hermaphroditus |
Cyperus pseudovegetus |
|
Phenology | Fruiting summer–fall. | Fruiting summer. |
Habitat | Arroyos | Damp places |
Elevation | 500–1200 m (1600–3900 ft) | 0–200 m (0–700 ft) |
Distribution |
AZ; TX; Mexico; South America; West Indies |
AL; AR; DC; DE; FL; GA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; MO; NC; NJ; OK; SC; TN; TX; VA
|
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.) |
Cyperus pseudovegetus has been called “Cyperus vegetus Willd.” (M. L. Fernald 1950). The var. megalanthus Kükenthal of eastern Mexico and Central America recognized by M. F. Denton (1978b) is now considered a distinct species, C. megalanthus (Kükenthal) G. C. Tucker (see G. C. Tucker 1994). Cyperus pseudovegetus is introduced in Massachusetts. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 23, p. 186. | FNA vol. 23, p. 156. |
Parent taxa | Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Cyperus | Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Pycnostachys |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Carex hermaphrodita, Mariscus hermaphroditus, Mariscus jacquinii | |
Name authority | (Jacquin) Standley: Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 18: 88. (1916) | Steudel: Syn. Pl. Glumac. 2: 24. (1855) |
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