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epiphytic flatsedge

annual sedge, poorland flatsedge

Habit Herbs, perennial, cespitose, rhizomatous. Herbs, annual, cespitose with fibrous roots.
Culms

trigonous, compressed, 15–75 cm × 0.5–3 mm, glabrous.

trigonous, (2–)6–15(–35) cm × (0.3–)1–1.8 mm, glabrous.

Leaves

1–3, 5–30 cm × 1–2 mm.

1–5, flat to V-shaped, (1–)5–15(–22) cm × (0.5–)1.5–3 mm.

Inflorescences

spikes 1(–2), ovoid, 5–23 × 9–21 mm;

rays 2–3(–4), 0–15 mm;

if rays absent, head single, compact, sessile, (12–)15–20 mm diam.;

bracts 2–3, horizontal to vertical, 2–14 cm × 0.5–3.5 mm.

spikes ± digitate, ± globose, 7–40 × 10–20 mm;

rays (0–)1–6, 2–12 cm;

if absent, inflorescence a sessile cluster of (1–)3–10 spikelets;

rachis 2–5 mm;

bracts (1–)4–5(–6), ascending, V-shaped, 1–15(–20) cm × 0.5–3.5 mm;

rachilla persistent, wingless.

Spikelets

1–6, oblong-lanceoloid, 5–26 × 2–3 mm;

floral scales 12–54, closely imbricate, laterally yellowish brown, medially pale brown, occasionally greenish, laterally 1-ribbed, medially 3-ribbed, distinctly 2-keeled basally, ovate, 1.8–2.6 × 1.4–1.7 mm, apex obtuse.

(1–)3–12(–16), greenish white, linear to linear-lanceoloid, compressed-quadrangular, 6–34(–40) × 2–3(–3.6) mm;

floral scales deciduous, (8–)16–36(–42), spreading, laterally whitish, greenish, or pale brownish, medially green, weakly 7–9-ribbed, laterally weakly 1–2-ribbed, most ribs medial, ovate, (2.4–)2.6–3 × (1.9–)2–2.4(–2.5) mm, apex acute to ± acute, cuspidate tip (0.3–)0.5–0.7(–0.8) mm.

Flowers

stamens 2;

anthers 0.4–0.5 mm, connectives not prolonged;

styles 0.3–1 mm;

stigmas 0.6–0.8(–1) mm.

anthers 0.6–0.7 mm;

styles 0.9–1.3 mm;

stigmas 0.5–0.8 mm.

Achenes

brown, network of ridges forming isodiametric or square cells, stipitate, obovoid to ellipsoid, 1.1–1.3 × (0.5–)0.6 mm, apex acute to broadly rounded, surfaces minutely punctate or finely papillose.

brown, stipitate to sessile, obovoid, (1–)1.2–1.4(–1.5) × 0.9–1(–1.1) mm, apex obtuse to emarginate, surfaces very finely puncticulate.

Cyperus lanceolatus

Cyperus compressus

Phenology Fruiting summer. Fruiting summer–early fall.
Habitat Marshes Various disturbed soils
Elevation 0–100 m (0–300 ft) 0–900 m (0–3000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; LA; TX; Mexico; Central America; South America; Africa
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; DE; FL; GA; IL; LA; MD; MO; MS; NC; NY; OH; PA; SC; TX; VA; Mexico; Central America; South America; Asia; Africa
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 23, p. 162. FNA vol. 23, p. 171.
Parent taxa Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Pycreus 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. haspan, C. hermaphroditus, C. houghtonii, C. hypopitys, C. hystricinus, C. involucratus, C. iria, C. laevigatus, C. lancastriensis, 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. 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. 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
Synonyms C. densus, C. humboldtianus, C. lanceolatus var. compositus, Pycreus densus C. compressus var. pectiniformis, C. pectinatus, C. pectiniformis
Name authority Poiret: in J. Lamarck et al., Encycl. 7: 245. (1806) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 46. (1753)
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