Cyperus niger |
Cyperus floribundus |
|
---|---|---|
black flatsedge, brown cyperus |
Rio Grande sedge |
|
Habit | Herbs, perennial, rhizomatous. | Herbs, perennial, cespitose, rhizomatous. |
Culms | solitary or close together, trigonous, 5–40(–95) cm, glabrous. |
trigonous, basally tuberous thickened, 15–40 cm × 1–2.5 mm, glabrous. |
Leaves | (2–)3–7, broadly V-shaped, 3–20(–30) cm × 1.5–3 mm. |
flat to V-shaped, 10–30 cm × 1–2 mm. |
Inflorescences | spikes loosely to densely ovoid to hemispheric, 7–16 mm diam.; rachis 1–2 mm, or absent; rays 1–2, 3–45 mm; if rays absent, inflorescence sessile, dense, 6–20 mm diam; bracts 2–3, horizontal to reflexed downward, broadly V-shaped, 1–15 cm × 1–3 mm. |
spike 1, densely oblong to ellipsoid, 8–36 × 8–20 mm; rays 4–12, 10–20 cm; bracts 3–6, horizontal to ascending at 30°, V-shaped, 3–15 cm × (3–)4–5.8 mm; rachilla deciduous, wings 0.5–0.7 mm wide. |
Spikelets | (3–)5–25(–60), linear to oblong-linear, (3–)5–9 × 1.8–2.3 mm; floral scales 4–18, closely imbricate, chestnut brown, black, or brown, medially green or greenish brown, laterally ribless, medially 2(–3)-ribbed, distinctly 2-keeled basally, ovate to orbiculate, 1.5–2.1 × 1.4–2.2 mm, apex obtuse. |
(5–)20–35(–60), linear to oblong, quadrangular; 4–12(–21) × 0.7–1.2 mm, base narrowed to 0.4–1 mm; floral scales persistent, 1–3(–5), appressed, laterally whitish to reddish brown, stramineous with reddish spots, medially green, laterally 3–6-ribbed (midrib distinctly scabrid at 30X), narrowly oblong to ovate, 2.6–4.8 × 1.6–2 mm; apex rounded to ± acute, entire, with mucro 0.3–0.5 mm; sterile terminal scale involute, 0.4–0.6 mm wide, uncinate; distal floral scales with cusp 0.6–1.9. |
Flowers | stamens 2; anthers 0.6–0.8 mm, connectives not prolonged; styles 0.4–0.6 mm; stigmas 0.7–2.1 mm. |
anthers 0.5–1.3 mm; styles 0.4–0.5 mm; stigmas 0.5–0.9 mm. |
Achenes | brown, ellipsoid, 1.2–1.4 × 0.6–0.8 mm, network of ridges forming isodiametric or square cells, slightly stipitate, apex apiculate, surfaces minutely punctate. |
light brown to reddish brown, sessile to slightly stipitate, narrowly ellipsoid, 1.8–2.4 × 0.6–0.8 mm, apex slightly apiculate, surfaces puncticulate. |
Cyperus niger |
Cyperus floribundus |
|
Phenology | Fruiting summer. | Fruiting mid summer–early fall (Jul–Sep). |
Habitat | Swamps, ditches, wet pastures, seeps in montane forests | Damp, disturbed soils, croplands |
Elevation | 0–1200 m (0–3900 ft) | 0–1000 m (0–3300 ft) |
Distribution |
AZ; CA; NM; OK; TX; Mexico; Central America; South America
|
TX; Mexico |
Discussion | Six varieties (Cyperus niger var. niger, var. castaneus, var. robustus, var. lorentizianus, var. intricate-ramosus, and var. pseudo-elegantulus) were recognized by G. Kükenthal (1935–1936). Based on field observations and measurements of hundreds of collections from Mexico, where the species is most plentiful, it does not seem possible to recognize any of the infraspecific taxa (G. C. Tucker 1983, 1994; G. C. Tucker and R. McVaugh 1993). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Included previously in Cyperus retroflexus (or its synonym C. uniflorus), C. floribundus has a much narrower geographic range (southern Texas and northeastern Mexico) and differs in features of spikelet morphology (J. R. Carter and S. D. Jones 1997). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 23. | FNA vol. 23. |
Parent taxa | Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Pycreus | Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Cyperus |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | C. diandrus var. castaneus, C. melanostachyus, C. niger var. castaneus | C. uniflorus var. floribundus, C. uniflorus |
Name authority | Ruiz & Pavón: Fl. Peruv. 1: 47. (1798) | (Kükenthal) J. Rich. Carter & S. D. Jones: Rhodora 99: 330. (1998) |
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