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Egyptian paper-reed, papyrus

tooth flatsedge

Habit Herbs, perennial, rhizomatous, stout. Herbs, perennial, cespitose, rhizomatous; stolons tuberiferous, 1–10 cm.
Culms

roundly trigonous, 300–500 cm × 15–45 mm, glabrous.

trigonous, 8–50 cm × 1–3 mm.

Leaves

bladeless.

flat or V-shaped, 10–40 cm × 2–5 mm.

Inflorescences

spikes loosely cylindric, 10–20 × 6–10 mm;

rays 40–100, drooping or arching, slender, 10–30 cm; 2d order rays 8–20 cm;

bracts 4–10, ± erect, V-shaped, 3–8 cm × 4–15 mm; 2d order bracts 2–5, (1.5–)4–16 cm × 0.5–2 mm;

rachilla persistent, separating laterally, remaining firmly attached basally, wings 0.3–0.4 mm wide.

heads digitate, 8–18 mm diam.;

rays 4–9, 1–8 cm; 2d order rays 0.5–2 cm;

bracts 3–5, ± horizontal, flat, 1–20 cm × 1–4 mm.

Spikelets

6–30, slightly compressed, linear, ± quadrangular, 6–10 × 0.8–1 mm;

floral scales 6–16, reddish beside 5-ribbed green medial part, white to hyaline near margins, ovate-elliptic, 1.8–2.2 × 1.2–1.5 mm, apex acute to obtuse.

commonly proliferous, 2–6, linear to oblong, compressed, 3–24 × 2–2.5 mm;

floral scales 3–20(–50), reddish brown, laterally 1–3-ribbed, ovate, 2–2.5 × 1.5–2 mm.

Flowers

anthers 0.8–1 mm (connectives prolonged beyond anther as red subulate appendage 0.2–0.5 mm, apex usually setose);

styles 0.2–0.4 mm;

stigmas 0.8–1.2 mm.

stamens 3;

anthers 1.5 mm;

styles 1 mm;

stigmas 1.5 mm.

Achenes

pale brown, sessile, oblong, 0.8–1 × 0.4 mm, apex scarcely apiculate, surfaces puncticulate.

reddish brown, sessile, obovoid, 0.8–1 × 0.4–0.5 mm, apex obtuse, scarcely apiculate, surfaces glabrous.

Cyperus papyrus

Cyperus dentatus

Phenology Fruiting summer. Fruiting summer.
Habitat Stream banks, marshes Emergent sandy, peaty, or gravelly shorelines
Elevation 0–30 m (0–100 ft) 0–600 m (0–2000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
FL; s Europe; sw Asia; Africa [Introduced in North America]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CT; DC; DE; IN; MA; MD; ME; NC; NH; NY; PA; RI; SC; TN; VA; VT; NB; NS; ON; QC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Cyperus papyrus is conspicuous in the field by its great height, leafless culm, and open, hemispheric inflorescence with drooping rays.

Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans prepared paper from the pith of the culms of Cyperus papyrus, which is abundant along the Nile River.

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

The report of Cyperus dentatus from West Virginia (M. V. McGivney 1938) is erroneous; the cited specimen was from New Jersey (Gutenberg s.n. 1886, US) (M. Strong, pers. comm.).

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

Source FNA vol. 23, p. 173. FNA vol. 23, p. 151.
Parent taxa Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Cyperus Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Pycnostachys
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. odoratus, C. onerosus, C. ovatus, C. owanii, C. oxylepis, C. pallidicolor, 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. 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. 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
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 47. (1753) Torrey: Fl. N. Middle United States 1: 61. (1824)
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