Cyperus reflexus |
Cyperus involucratus |
|
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bentawn flatsedge |
umbrella flatsedge, umbrella-plant |
|
Habit | Herbs, perennial, cespitose; rhizomes elongate, scaly, 2–3 mm wide. | Herbs, perennial, cespitose, rhizomatous. |
Culms | roundly trigonous to terete, 30–80 cm × 1–1.6 mm, glabrous. |
trigonous, 30–150 cm × 1–5(–8) mm. |
Leaves | 1–6, 10–40 cm, glabrous or essentially so. |
bladeless. |
Inflorescences | heads ovoid to pyramidal, 9–15 mm diam.; rays 0 or 3–6, 0.5–4 cm, glabrous; bracts 3–4, longest erect, appearing as continuation of culm, others horizontal to ascending, 4–17 cm × 1.5–4 mm. |
heads digitate, 15–30(–36) mm diam.; rays (14–)20–22, (2–)5–12(–20) cm; 2d order rays 0.3–3(–4) cm; 3d order rays sometimes present, 0.3–2.5 cm; bracts (4–)18–22, ± horizontal, flat, 15–27 cm × (1.5–)8–12 mm. |
Spikelets | 25–60, reddish with contrasting yellowish or greenish edges, oblong-lanceoloid, strongly compressed, 5–6(–15) × 1.5–2.5 mm; floral scales 10–22, laterally reddish, medially yellowish green, 2-keeled, laterally strongly 1-ribbed on each side, proximally grooved, ovate-elliptic, 1.4–2.2 × 0.8–1.5 mm, apex acute, apically scabridulous (sometimes glabrous). |
8–20, ovoid to linear-lanceoloid, compressed, 5–25 × 1.5–2 mm; floral scales 8–28, laterally whitish or light brown, ± hyaline, medially light brown, laterally ribless, medially 3-ribbed, 2-keeled in proximal 30–60%, deltate-ovate, 1.6–2.4 × (1–)1.2–1.5(–1.7) mm, apex acute. |
Flowers | stamen 1; anthers 0.6–1 mm; styles 0.3–0.5 mm; stigmas 0.3–0.6 mm. |
stamens 3; anthers 0.7–1 mm; styles 0.5–1 mm; stigmas 0.6–1 mm. |
Achenes | reddish brown, stipitate, ovoid-ellipsoid, 0.8–0.9 × 0.3–0.4 mm, stipe 0.1–0.2 mm, apex acute to acuminate, surfaces reticulate or subtly rugulose. |
brown, sessile or stipitate, broadly ellipsoid, 0.6–0.8 × 0.4–0.6 mm, stipe if present to 0.1 mm, apex obtuse, apiculate, surfaces puncticulate. |
Cyperus reflexus |
Cyperus involucratus |
|
Phenology | Fruiting late spring–fall (May–Oct). | Fruiting early summer–fall. |
Habitat | Muddy soils or shallow waters | Damp, disturbed soils, ditches, stream banks |
Elevation | 0–200 m (0–700 ft) | 0–100(–800) m (0–300(–2600) ft) |
Distribution |
FL; LA; OK; TX; Mexico; Central America (Costa Rica) |
CA; FL; LA; TX; e Africa [Introduced in North America]
|
Discussion | Cyperus reflexus is recognized by its reddish scales with contrasting greenish or yellow keels and by the laterally 1ribbed scales. The lateral rib is most often situated where the reddish and yellowish parts of the scale meet. Two varieties of C. reflexus, var. reflexus and var. fraternus, have been recognized (M. F. Denton 1978b). Both varieties were noted as intermingled in the North American and South American segments of the widely disjunct range of C. reflexus. Such variation does not seem significant at the varietal level (see G. C. Tucker 1994; G. C. Tucker and R. McVaugh 1993). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Cyperus involucratus has been collected in New York (R. S. Mitchell and G. C. Tucker 1997). Cyperus involucratus is widely cultivated as a water plant in greenhouses and outdoors in warm-temperate or tropical climates. It has long been misidentified in the flora as C. alternifolius Linnaeus, an endemic of Madagascar (G. C. Tucker 1983). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 23. | FNA vol. 23, p. 150. |
Parent taxa | Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Pycnostachys | Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Pycnostachys |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | C. arenicola, C. fraternus, C. pseudovegetus var. arenicola, C. reflexus var. fraternus | |
Name authority | Vahl: Enum. Pl. 2: 299. (1805) | Rottbøll: Descr. Pl. Rar., 22. (1772) |
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