Cyperus involucratus |
Cyperus mutisii |
|
---|---|---|
umbrella flatsedge, umbrella-plant |
mutis' flatsedge |
|
Habit | Herbs, perennial, cespitose, rhizomatous. | Herbs, perennial, cespitose, rhizomatous. |
Culms | trigonous, 30–150 cm × 1–5(–8) mm. |
trigonous, (20–)30–120 cm × 1.4–3.5 mm, glabrous or occasionally with scattered prickles on distal angles. |
Leaves | bladeless. |
2–4(–6), inversely W-shaped, 10–60(–70) cm × (2–)4–13 mm, margins and midribs scabridulous or glabrous. |
Inflorescences | heads digitate, 15–30(–36) mm diam.; rays (14–)20–22, (2–)5–12(–20) cm; 2d order rays 0.3–3(–4) cm; 3d order rays sometimes present, 0.3–2.5 cm; bracts (4–)18–22, ± horizontal, flat, 15–27 cm × (1.5–)8–12 mm. |
spikes (1–)3–6, narrowly cylindric, 1–4(–6) cm × 5–11 mm; rays 0 or 3–6, 2–23 cm; bracts 5–8, ascending at ± 45°, inversely W-shaped, (4–) 14–40(–46) cm × 1–12 mm; rachilla deciduous, wings persistent, 0.3–0.5 mm wide. |
Spikelets | 8–20, ovoid to linear-lanceoloid, compressed, 5–25 × 1.5–2 mm; floral scales 8–28, laterally whitish or light brown, ± hyaline, medially light brown, laterally ribless, medially 3-ribbed, 2-keeled in proximal 30–60%, deltate-ovate, 1.6–2.4 × (1–)1.2–1.5(–1.7) mm, apex acute. |
35–100, oblong-ellipsoid, ± terete, elliptic in cross section, 3–7 × (0.9–) 1.3–2 mm; distal spikelets spreading or ascending; floral scales persistent, 1–2(–5), appressed, becoming clear at maturity, laterally brownish to reddish brown, medially greenish, laterally 3–5-ribbed, medially 3-ribbed, often erose at maturity, ovate to elliptic, 2.2–3.2 × 1.5–2.1 mm, apex obtuse. |
Flowers | stamens 3; anthers 0.7–1 mm; styles 0.5–1 mm; stigmas 0.6–1 mm. |
anthers 0.6–0.8 mm; styles 0.4–0.8 mm; stigmas 1.2–2.2 mm. |
Achenes | brown, sessile or stipitate, broadly ellipsoid, 0.6–0.8 × 0.4–0.6 mm, stipe if present to 0.1 mm, apex obtuse, apiculate, surfaces puncticulate. |
brown to reddish brown, sessile, broadly ellipsoid, slightly dorsiventrally flattened, 1.5–1.8 × 0.7–0.9(–1) mm, apex obtuse, apiculate, surfaces papillose to puncticulate. |
Cyperus involucratus |
Cyperus mutisii |
|
Phenology | Fruiting early summer–fall. | Fruiting summer–fall (Jun–Nov). |
Habitat | Damp, disturbed soils, ditches, stream banks | Clearings in montane forests, canyons |
Elevation | 0–100(–800) m (0–300(–2600) ft) | 500–1500 m (1600–4900 ft) |
Distribution |
CA; FL; LA; TX; e Africa [Introduced in North America]
|
AZ; Mexico; Central America; South America |
Discussion | Cyperus involucratus has been collected in New York (R. S. Mitchell and G. C. Tucker 1997). Cyperus involucratus is widely cultivated as a water plant in greenhouses and outdoors in warm-temperate or tropical climates. It has long been misidentified in the flora as C. alternifolius Linnaeus, an endemic of Madagascar (G. C. Tucker 1983). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Cyperus mutisii is recognized by its cylindric spikes borne digitately at the ends of the rays and its short, plump spikelets. As spikelets mature, the floral scales, having erose margins contrasting with the brownish sides, beome useful distinguishing features. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 23, p. 150. | FNA vol. 23, p. 189. |
Parent taxa | Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Pycnostachys | Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Cyperus |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Mariscus mutisii, C. asper, C. compresso, C. ehrenbergianus, C. mutisii var. asper, C. mutisii var. contractus, C. mutisii var. semitribrachiatus, C. ochreatus, C. semitribrachiatus, Mariscus asper | |
Name authority | Rottbøll: Descr. Pl. Rar., 22. (1772) | (Kunth) Andersson: Galapagos Veg., 53. (1854) |
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