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epiphytic flatsedge

granite flatsedge

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

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

trigonous, glabrous.

Leaves

1–3, 5–30 cm × 1–2 mm.

V-shaped to flat, (2–)4–11 cm × 3–4 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.

rays absent;

bracts 2–4, ± horizontal, flat, 1–6.5 cm × 2–3 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.

10–40, compressed, ovoid to linear-lanceoloid, quadrangular, 5–9 × 2–3 mm;

floral scales deciduous, 5–20, spreading, pale greenish to reddish brown, laterally (5–)7–9(–13)-ribbed, ovate, 3–4 × 1–2 mm, apex straight, excurved mucronate, or cuspidate.

Flowers

stamens 2;

anthers 0.4–0.5 mm, connectives not prolonged;

styles 0.3–1 mm;

stigmas 0.6–0.8(–1) mm.

stamens 1–2;

filaments 1.5 mm;

anthers 0.8–1 mm, connective apex reddish yellow, less than 0.1 mm;

styles 0.8–1 mm;

stigmas 1–1.2 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 to reddish brown, broadly ellipsoid to obovoid, 0.8–1.2 × 0.5–0.6 mm, base ± cuneate, apex truncate-obtuse, surfaces puncticulate.

Cyperus lanceolatus

Cyperus granitophilus

Phenology Fruiting summer. Fruiting summer.
Habitat Marshes Thin soil over outcrops of granite or sandstone of the Piedmont and inner coastal plain
Elevation 0–100 m (0–300 ft) 50–400 m (200–1300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; LA; TX; Mexico; Central America; South America; Africa
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[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; GA; NC; SC; TN; VA
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[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Cyperus granitophilus is documented as an autotetraploid derivative of C. squarrosus (L. W. Garoni and W. H. Murdy 1964).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 23, p. 162. FNA vol. 23, p. 165.
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. 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. 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
Name authority Poiret: in J. Lamarck et al., Encycl. 7: 245. (1806) McVaugh: Castanea 2: 103, figs. 4–8. (1937)
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