Cyperus lanceolatus |
Cyperus ligularis |
|
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epiphytic flatsedge |
Alabama swamp flatsedge |
|
Habit | Herbs, perennial, cespitose, rhizomatous. | Herbs, perennial, solitary or cespitose, rhizomatous, coarse. |
Culms | trigonous, compressed, 15–75 cm × 0.5–3 mm, glabrous. |
trigonous, (30–)60–130 cm × 1–4(–9) mm, densely papillose, otherwise glabrous. |
Leaves | 1–3, 5–30 cm × 1–2 mm. |
with cross ribs prominent, V-shaped, 30–100 cm × 5–13(–20) mm, margins, keel incisive with brownish prickles, papillose throughout, margins and midribs harshly scabrid. |
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 3–7, densely oblong-cylindric to ± globose, 10–28(–35) × 8–12(–15) mm; rays 5–12, 1–16 cm, densely papillose; bracts 5–12, ascending at 30–75°, flat to V-shaped, 4–50(–90) cm × 1–15 mm; rachilla deciduous, wings persistent, (0.2–)0.3–0.5(–0.6) mm. |
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. |
20–80, oblong-ellipsoid, ± terete, slightly compressed, 3–7 × 1–2(–2.7) mm; distal spikelets spreading or ascending; floral scales (2–)4–7, appressed, clear to brownish, reddish streaked, medially green, 9–11-ribbed, ovate, (2–)2.5–3.3 × 1.2–2.3 mm, apex acute, mucronate. |
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 0.6–0.8 mm, styles 0.5–1 mm; stigmas 1–2.3 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, slightly stipitate, obovoid to broadly ellipsoid, (1.2–)1.5–1.6(–1.7) × 0.6–0.8 mm, apex apiculate, surfaces puncticulate. |
Cyperus lanceolatus |
Cyperus ligularis |
|
Phenology | Fruiting summer. | Fruiting throughout the year. |
Habitat | Marshes | Beaches, brackish marshes, mangrove swamps, disturbed soils, ditches, riverbanks, coastal croplands |
Elevation | 0–100 m (0–300 ft) | 0 m (0 ft) |
Distribution |
AL; FL; GA; LA; TX; Mexico; Central America; South America; Africa
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FL; Mexico; Central America; South America; w Africa
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Discussion | The papillose culms, rays, and leaves of Cyperus ligularis distinguish it from all other North American species of Cyperus. Reports of Cyperus ligularis from California (G. C. Tucker 1993b) were based on specimens of C. owanii. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
|
Source | FNA vol. 23, p. 162. | FNA vol. 23, p. 190. |
Parent taxa | Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Pycreus | Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Cyperus |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | C. densus, C. humboldtianus, C. lanceolatus var. compositus, Pycreus densus | Mariscus rufus |
Name authority | Poiret: in J. Lamarck et al., Encycl. 7: 245. (1806) | Linnaeus: Syst. Nat. ed. 10, 2: 867. (1759) |
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