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bentawn flatsedge

pallid flatsedge

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, (10–) 30–50(–80) cm × (0.8–)1–2 mm, glabrous or occasionally minutely scabridulous on distal angles.

Leaves

1–6, 10–40 cm, glabrous or essentially so.

3–7, M- or V-shaped, (10–)25–40(–55) cm × 2–5 mm, margins and midribs scabridulous or glabrous.

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 3–6(–12), grayish to golden brown, loosely cylindric, (6–)10–20(–24) cm × (5–)8–11 mm;

rays 0 or 1–3, to 4 cm;

rachis glabrous;

bracts (3–)4–6(–8), horizontal to strongly reflexed, inversely W-shaped, (3–) 10–20(–30) cm × 1–5 mm;

rachilla deciduous, wings persistent, 0.3–0.5 mm wide.

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).

(10–)25–60(–100), spaced 1–2(–3) mm apart, broadly ellipsoid to oblong, ± terete, 2.4–3.6 × 0.8–1.2 mm;

distal spikelet spreading or ascending;

floral scales persistent, 1–2(–4), appressed, laterally golden brown to dull grayish white, frequently streaked with red, medially greenish, laterally 3–4-ribbed, medially 3-ribbed, oblong, 2.6–3.3 × 1.8–2.4 mm, apex broadly rounded.

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 0.8–1.2(–1.4) mm;

stigmas 1.4–2 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.

reddish brown to dark brown, stipitate, ellipsoid, (1.6–)1.8–2(–2.2) × (0.6–)0.7–0.9 mm, base cuneate to ± attenuate, apex ± acute to broadly rounded, surfaces finely papillose to essentially glabrous.

Cyperus reflexus

Cyperus pallidicolor

Phenology Fruiting late spring–fall (May–Oct). Fruiting summer.
Habitat Muddy soils or shallow waters Clearings in montane forests
Elevation 0–200 m (0–700 ft) 800–1200 m (2600–3900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
FL; LA; OK; TX; Mexico; Central America (Costa Rica)
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; Mexico; Central America; South America
[BONAP county map]
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.)

Source FNA vol. 23. FNA vol. 23.
Parent taxa Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Pycnostachys Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Cyperus
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. papyrus, C. parishii, C. pilosus, C. planifolius, C. plukenetii, C. polystachyos, C. prolifer, C. prolixus, C. pseudothyrsiflorus, C. pseudovegetus, C. pumilus, 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. 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. 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
Synonyms C. arenicola, C. fraternus, C. pseudovegetus var. arenicola, C. reflexus var. fraternus C. subambiguus var. pallidicolor
Name authority Vahl: Enum. Pl. 2: 299. (1805) (Kükenthal) G. C. Tucker: in R. McVaugh & W. R. Anderson, Fl. Novo-Galiciana 13: 324. (1993)
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