Cyperus lanceolatus |
Cyperus subg. Pycreus |
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epiphytic flatsedge |
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Habit | Herbs, perennial, cespitose, rhizomatous. | |
Culms | trigonous, compressed, 15–75 cm × 0.5–3 mm, glabrous. |
and leaves with Kranz (chlorocyperoid) anatomy. |
Leaves | 1–3, 5–30 cm × 1–2 mm. |
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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; rachilla persistent, wingless or nearly so. |
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. |
borne in loosely spicate to ± digitate clusters; floral scales deciduous, 2-keeled or folded. |
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–)2–3; pistils 2; stigmas 2. |
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. |
biconvex or ± cylindric, laterally compressed, edge borne toward rachilla. |
Cyperus lanceolatus |
Cyperus subg. Pycreus |
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Phenology | Fruiting summer. | |
Habitat | Marshes | |
Elevation | 0–100 m (0–300 ft) | |
Distribution |
AL; FL; GA; LA; TX; Mexico; Central America; South America; Africa
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Worldwide |
Discussion | Species ca. 100 (11 in the flora). Laterally compressed, biconvex achenes, a feature not occurring elsewhere in the family, distinguish Cyperus subg. Pycreus. The taxon has been treated as a genus in Flora Mesoamericana (C. D. Adams 1994), an idea that may have merit. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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Source | FNA vol. 23, p. 162. | FNA vol. 23. |
Parent taxa | Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Pycreus | Cyperaceae > Cyperus |
Sibling taxa | ||
Subordinate taxa | ||
Synonyms | C. densus, C. humboldtianus, C. lanceolatus var. compositus, Pycreus densus | subg. Pycreus, C. section Pycreus |
Name authority | Poiret: in J. Lamarck et al., Encycl. 7: 245. (1806) | (Palisot de Beauvois) J. Carey: Carices North. U. S., 517. (1847) |
Web links |