Flora of North America species comparison

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Cyperus refractus

reflexed flatsedge
Habit Herbs, perennial, cespitose, with inconspicuous, short rhizomes scarcely visible between culm bases.
Culms

basally cormlike, trigonous, 30–100 cm × 2–4 mm, glabrous.
Leaves

V-shaped to flat, 20–70 cm × 3–8 mm, adaxial surface, margins minutely scabridulous.
Inflorescences

spikes loose, broadly ellipsoid to ovoid, 4–7 × 2–6 cm;

rays 6–13(–16), 4–25 cm, glabrous;

rachis 1.5–3 cm;

bracts 3–6, horizontal to ascending at 30°, flat, 5–35 cm × 2.5–6 mm;

rachilla persistent, wings 0.4–0.5 mm wide.
Spikelets

(13–)20–60(–74), linear, ± terete, (11–)13–25(–28) × 1.2–1.5 mm;

distal spikelets spreading or ascending;

floral scales persistent, (2–)3–6, stramineous, red-purple striate, laterally 3–5-ribbed, ovate-lanceolate, 4.5–5.3 × 1.2–1.5 mm.
Flowers

anthers 1–1.5 mm;

styles 1.5 mm;

stigmas 1.5 mm.
Achenes

brown to purplish brown, oblong-linear (5–6 times long as wide), 2.6–3 × 0.5–0.6 mm, base cuneate, apex obtuse, surfaces puncticulate.

Cyperus refractus
Phenology Fruiting summer (Jul–Aug).
Habitat Sandy riverbanks, gravelly roadsides, pastures, disturbed places
Elevation 20–300 m (100–1000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; DC; GA; MD; MO; NC; PA; SC; TN; VA; WV
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Cyperus refractus is often mistaken for C. strigosus, which has shorter anthers (0.4–0.5 mm) and spreading, ± deciduous floral scales.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 23, p. 182.
Parent taxa 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. reflexus, 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
Name authority Engelmann ex Boeckeler: Linnaea 36: 369. 1870, based on Cyperus refrofractus Engelmann ex Steudel, Syn. Pl. Glumac. 2: 47. 1855, not (Linnaeus) Torrey (1848)
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Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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