Cyperus papyrus |
Cyperus dentatus |
|
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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 |
FL; s Europe; sw Asia; Africa [Introduced in North America] |
CT; DC; DE; IN; MA; MD; ME; NC; NH; NY; PA; RI; SC; TN; VA; VT; NB; NS; ON; QC
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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 | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 47. (1753) | Torrey: Fl. N. Middle United States 1: 61. (1824) |
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