Cyperus reflexus |
Cyperus oxylepis |
|
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bentawn flatsedge |
sharpscale flatsedge |
|
Habit | Herbs, perennial, cespitose; rhizomes elongate, scaly, 2–3 mm wide. | Herbs, perennial, cespitose, coarse, (culms, leaves, bracts, and rays viscid). |
Culms | roundly trigonous to terete, 30–80 cm × 1–1.6 mm, glabrous. |
roundly trigonous, 10–50 cm × 0.9–2.4 mm. |
Leaves | 1–6, 10–40 cm, glabrous or essentially so. |
adaxial face concave, becoming flat to trigonous apically, 10–46 cm × 1.5–4 mm, margins involute. |
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. |
spikes ovoid, 1–5.5 cm wide; rays usually 3–6, 0.5–5 cm, glabrous; sometimes absent in small plants; if absent, inflorescence a congested head of spikelets 1–3.5 cm diam.; 2d order rays 0–3, 1–3 cm; bracts 3–5, vertical to ascending at 45°, 2.5–25 cm × 1.2–4 mm, margins involute; 2d order bracts 0–2, 5–20 mm; rachilla persistent, wingless. |
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). |
5–24, greenish yellow to golden brown, oblong to linear-lanceoloid, quadrangular, strongly compressed, 7–20(–30) × 2.5–4(–6) mm; floral scales 10–20(–40), spreading, pale green to stramineous, laterally 2–3-ribbed, ovate-lanceolate, 3.1–4 × 1.5–2.4 mm, apex with mucro 0.2–0.8 mm. |
Flowers | stamen 1; anthers 0.6–1 mm; styles 0.3–0.5 mm; stigmas 0.3–0.6 mm. |
anthers 0.6–0.8 mm; styles 0.8–1.6 mm; stigmas 1–1.4 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. |
light to dark brown, rarely somewhat reddish, stipitate, ellipsoid, 2–2.4 × 0.5–0.8 mm, base cuneate, stipe whitish, spongy, 0.2–0.3 × 0.2–0.4 mm, apex acute, persistent style forming beak 0.5–1.2 mm, surfaces glabrous or finely papillose. |
Cyperus reflexus |
Cyperus oxylepis |
|
Phenology | Fruiting late spring–fall (May–Oct). | Fruiting summer. |
Habitat | Muddy soils or shallow waters | Ditches and disturbed places in marshes, often in saline soil |
Elevation | 0–200 m (0–700 ft) | 0–100 m (0–300 ft) |
Distribution |
FL; LA; OK; TX; Mexico; Central America (Costa Rica) |
AR; FL; GA; LA; MS; SC; TX; Mexico; South America [Introduced in North America]
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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 oxylepis is easily recognized by its sticky leaves, culms, and bracts (in living plants), involute leaves,and golden brown spikelets. The ovate-lanceolate floral scales and the ellipsoid, brownish achene with a persistent beak distinguish C. oxylepis from other species with deciduous floral scales. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 23. | FNA vol. 23, p. 171. |
Parent taxa | Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Pycnostachys | Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Cyperus |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | C. arenicola, C. fraternus, C. pseudovegetus var. arenicola, C. reflexus var. fraternus | |
Name authority | Vahl: Enum. Pl. 2: 299. (1805) | Nees ex Steudel: Syn. Pl. Glumac. 2: 25. (1855) |
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