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fragrant flatsedge, rusty flat sedge, scented sedge

Habit Herbs, annual (or short-lived perennial).
Culms

trigonous, (4–)10–50(–130) cm × (0.5–)1–4 mm.

Leaves

flanged V- or inversely W-shaped, 5–30(–60) cm × 4–12 mm.

Inflorescences

spikes 1–5(–12), loosely to densely cylindric, ovoid, or ± pyramidal, 10–20(–40) × (8–)10–30(–35) mm;

rays (0–2)6–9(–12), 2–8(–13) cm;

if rays absent, infloresence a single dense, capitate cluster of closely imbricate spikes;

bracts (4–)5–8(–10), horizontal to ascending at 30–60°, (3–)10–25(–55) cm × 1–14 mm;

rachilla hyaline or thickened bronze, carmine, or yellowish, wings clasping achene.

Spikelets

(10–)20–60(–100), linear-oblong to narrowly linear, cylindric to slightly flattened (when scale tips spreading), (5–)8–15(–38) × 0.8–1.3(–1.9) mm;

floral scales (4–)8–12–(30), medially green, laterally reddish to stramineous to shiny brown or beige, medially 2–5-ribbed, laterally 1–3-ribbed, ovate to elliptic, (2–)2.2–2.8(–3.2) × (1.2–)1.4–1.6(–1.8) mm, apex entire or emarginate with mucro to 0.3 mm.

Flowers

anthers (0.2–)0.3–0.4(–0.7) mm;

styles 0.4–0.7(–1) mm;

stigmas (1–)1.5–3 mm.

Achenes

brown, reddish brown, or black, stipitate, narrowly ellipsoid to oblong (rarely obovoid-oblong), (1–)1.2–1.5(–1.9) × 0.5–0.6(–0.75) mm, stipe 0.1–0.2 mm, apex acute to barely obtuse, surfaces finely papillose.

Cyperus odoratus

Phenology Fruiting summer–early fall.
Habitat Emergent shorelines, disturbed, muddy places, fresh or slightly brackish marshes
Elevation 0–1500 m (0–4900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; AZ; CA; CO; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; NC; NE; NH; NJ; NM; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; HI; ON; QC; Central America; South America; Asia; Africa; Australia
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Discussion

As circumscribed here, Cyperus odoratus is easily identified by its cylindric to subcylindric spikelets in which the corky rachilla of the mature spikelet disarticulates at the base of each scale. The mature spikelet breaks into segments each consisting of a scale and an internode of the rachilla clasping the achene with its corky wings. Cyperus odoratus is an exceedingly variable pantropical and warm-temperate species. Numerous segregates have been named, some of which may deserve recognition when the species is studied in detail worldwide.

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

Source FNA vol. 23, p. 191.
Parent taxa Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Diclidium
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. lanceolatus, C. lecontei, C. lentiginosus, C. ligularis, C. lupulinus, C. manimae, C. microiria, C. mutisii, C. niger, C. ochraceus, 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. acicularis, C. californicus, C. eggersii, C. engelmannii, C. ferax, C. ferax subsp. engelmannii, C. ferax subsp. speciosus, C. ferruginescens, C. haenkei, C. huarmensis, C. macrocephalus, C. michauxianus, C. odoratus var. engelmannii, C. oxycarioides, C. speciosus, C. squarrosus var. parvus, Diclidium aciculare, Diclidium odoratum, Mariscus ferax, Mariscus huarmensis, Torulinium eggersii, Torulinium ferax, Torulinium macrocephalum, Torulinium michauxianum, Torulinium odoratum
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 46. (1753)
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