Cyperus surinamensis |
Cyperus aggregatus |
|
---|---|---|
tropical flatsedge |
ballast sedge, inflated-scale flatsedge |
|
Habit | Herbs, annual or short-lived perennial, annuals cespitose; rhizomes absent. | Herbs, perennial, cespitose, rhizomatous. |
Culms | 2–6, trigonous, (10–)35–80 cm × 0.5–2(–4) mm, scabridulous with retrorse prickles (infrequently glabrous or rarely also with extrorse prickles). |
trigonous, 20–100 cm × 0.8–2.5 mm, glabrous. |
Leaves | 3–9, V-shaped, (12–)25–45(–65) cm × 2–10 mm; blades and bracts without cross ribs. |
5–10, V-shaped to flanged V-shaped, 10–70(–90) cm × 2–7 mm, margins and midribs scabridulous or glabrous. |
Inflorescences | heads umbellate, 10–20(–30) mm diam.; rays 4–12, 1–6 cm, minutely scabridulous with retrorse prickles; 2d order rays often present, 1–2(–3) cm; 3d order rays rarely present, 0.5–1.5 cm; bracts 3–8, approximately horizontal to ascending at 30°, V-shaped to flat, 2–15(–34) cm × 1–4(–5) mm. |
spikes 1(–6), densely cylindric, 6–30 × 5–11 mm; rays 3–12, 0.4–5(–7) cm; rays and rachis glabrous; usually only 1–2 spikes of inflorescence on elongate rays, other spikes sessile or nearly so; bracts 4–7, horizontal to slightly ascending, 1–16 cm × 0.5–4 mm; rachilla deciduous, wings persistent, 0.5 mm wide. |
Spikelets | (6–)15–40(–65), greenish white, linear to linear-oblong, (3–)4–12(–15) × 1.5–2.5 mm; floral scales 10–50(–65), laterally pale yellow, light brown, or reddish brown, 2-keeled, medially 3-ribbed, lanceolate, 1–1.5 × 0.8–0.9 mm, distinctly reticulate, often scabridulous near apex. |
20–80, ellipsoid, roughly quadrangular, 3–5 × 1–1.4 mm; floral scales 1–2(–4), appressed, stramineous to golden brown, often red-speckled, medially greenish, 9-ribbed, elliptic to ovate, 2.4–3.4 × 1.8–2.6 mm, apex obtuse. |
Flowers | stamen 1; anthers 0.5 mm; styles 0.8–1.1 mm; stigmas 0.5 mm. |
anthers 0.4–0.6 mm; styles 0.7–1.1 mm; stigmas 1.4–2.1 mm. |
Achenes | brown to reddish brown, slightly stipitate, narrowly ellipsoid, 0.7–0.9 × 0.2–0.4 mm, apex apiculate, surfaces papillate or obscurely reticulate to rugulose. |
dark brown to reddish brown, sessile, broadly ellipsoid, 1.8–2.1 × 0.8–1 mm, apex apiculate, surfaces glabrous to finely puncticulate. |
Cyperus surinamensis |
Cyperus aggregatus |
|
Phenology | Fruiting late spring–early fall. | Fruiting mid summer–fall (Jul–Oct). |
Habitat | Moist sunny areas with disturbed soils | Dry roadsides, pastures, thickets |
Elevation | 0–200 m (0–700 ft) | 0–500 m (0–1600 ft) |
Distribution |
AL; AR; FL; GA; KS; LA; MS; OK; SC; TN; TX; Mexico; Central America; South America
|
AZ; LA; MS; NJ; NM; OR; PA; TX; Mexico; Central America; South America [Introduced, Australia]
|
Discussion | Cyperus surinamensis is distinguished readily from all other species of the genus in the New World by the usual presence of retrorse prickles on the culms and rays. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
The records of Cyperus aggregatus in New Jersey, Oregon, and Pennsylvania represent introductions from ballast. The closely related Mexican and Central American Cyperus regiomontanus Britton has been collected once as an adventive or waif in southern California. It is distinguished from C. aggregatus by its silvery green, subulate-lanceolate spikelets and achenes that are only 0.4–0.6 mm wide. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 23, p. 153. | FNA vol. 23. |
Parent taxa | Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Pycnostachys | Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Cyperus |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Mariscus aggregatus, C. cayennensis, C. flavus, C. flavus var. aggregatus, C. flavus var. laevis, Kyllinga cayennensis, Kyllinga squarrosa, Mariscus flavus, Mariscus laevis | |
Name authority | Rottbøll: Descr. Pl. Rar., 20. (1772) | (Willdenow) Endlicher: Cat. Horti Vindob. 1: 93. (1842) |
Web links |