Cyperus prolixus |
Cyperus thyrsiflorus |
|
---|---|---|
mosquito flatsedge |
southern flatsedge |
|
Habit | Herbs, perennial; rhizomes 3–20 cm × 1–2 cm, indurate. | Herbs, perennial, rhizomatous. |
Culms | stoutly trigonous, thickened, 50–300 cm × 5–30 mm, basally indurate, glabrous. |
trigonous, (15–) 20–40(–65) cm × 0.5–1 mm, glabrous. |
Leaves | V-shaped, with cross ribs, 40–130 cm × 10–15 mm, margins and keel scabrid. |
V-shaped, (10–)20–40 cm × 0.8–2.8(–3) mm, glabrous. |
Inflorescences | spikes appressed-ascending, narrowly cylindric, (2–)3–45 mm × (4–)7–10 mm; rays (5–)9–12, 2–22(–30) cm; 2d order rays distinctly flattened, 1–10 cm; 3d order rays flattened, 0.5–3 cm; rachis 2.5–4 cm; bracts (6–)9–10, ascending at 45–75°, V- or inversely W-shaped, (5–)15–90 cm × 0.5–20 mm; rachilla persistent, wings 0.2–0.4 mm wide. |
spike 1, densely oblong-cylindric, (15–)25–35(–40) × 12–18(–22) mm, (spikelets loosely spaced, 7–9 per 5 mm of rachis); rays (5–)6–8(–11), 0.5–4(–7.5) cm; bracts (4–)5–7(–8), ascending at 30º, (4–)10–30(–35) cm × (1–)2–4(–7) mm; rachilla deciduous, wings persistent, 0.4–0.5 mm wide. |
Spikelets | (4–)10–35, appressed-ascending, compressed, linear, 7–12(–15) × 0.6–1.2 mm; floral scales deciduous, 6–20, marginally clear, laterally brown, medially green, laterally 2–3-ribbed, medially 1-ribbed, oblong-ovate, (3.2–) 3.8–4.3 × 1.2–1.7 mm, apex spreading, acute to obtuse, mucronulate. |
(20–)40–80(–100), linear, ± cylindric, scarcely compressed, (4.5–)6–9(–11) × (0.5–) 0.6–0.7(–1) mm; floral scales persistent, (1–)2–3(–4), appressed, medially green, laterally light brown to tawny or bronze, medially (1–)3-ribbed, laterally 3-ribbed, oblong, (2.6–)2.8–3.2(–3.4) × (1–)1.2(–1.4) mm, apex acute, mucronulate, mucro to 0.1(–0.2) mm. |
Flowers | anthers 0.7–0.9 mm, connective apex bright red, oblong, to 0.1 mm; styles 0.8–1.3 mm; stigmas 2–3.3 mm. |
anthers 0.6–0.8 mm; styles (0.4–)0.6–1(–1.2) mm; stigmas persistent on achenes, prominently exserted from floral scales, (1.5–)2–3(–4) mm. |
Achenes | brown, sessile, narrowly ellipsoid, 1.8–2.5 × 0.8–1.3 mm, apex ± acute, not apiculate, surfaces puncticulate. |
brown to reddish brown, stipitate, narrowly oblong, 1.8–2.1 × (0.4–)0.5(–0.7) mm, stipe 0.1–0.2 × 0.1–0.2 mm, apex apiculate, acute, surfaces puncticulate. |
Cyperus prolixus |
Cyperus thyrsiflorus |
|
Phenology | Fruiting summer. | Fruiting summer. |
Habitat | Coastal marshes | Dry, open woods |
Elevation | 0–10 m [0–30 ft] | 0–200 m [0–700 ft] |
Distribution |
LA; Mexico; Central America; South America |
AL; FL; GA; LA; TX; Mexico; South America; West Indies |
Discussion | Cyperus prolixus produces large plants, similar in habit to C. giganteus and C. papyrus but easily distinguished by flattened rays. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
|
Source | FNA vol. 23, p. 167. | FNA vol. 23, p. 185. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | C. amplissimus | C. anceps, C. dissitiflorus, C. pallens, C. regiomontanus var. pallens, C. tribrachiatus, Mariscus dissitiflorus, Mariscus pallens, Mariscus tribrachiatus |
Name authority | Kunth: in A. von Humboldt et al., Nov. Gen. Sp. 1: 206. (1816) | Junghuhn: Linnaea 6: 24. (1831) |
Web links |