Cyperus surinamensis |
Cyperus pallidicolor |
|
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tropical flatsedge |
pallid 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, (10–) 30–50(–80) cm × (0.8–)1–2 mm, glabrous or occasionally minutely scabridulous on distal angles. |
Leaves | 3–9, V-shaped, (12–)25–45(–65) cm × 2–10 mm; blades and bracts without cross ribs. |
3–7, M- or V-shaped, (10–)25–40(–55) cm × 2–5 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 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 | (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. |
(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 0.5 mm; styles 0.8–1.1 mm; stigmas 0.5 mm. |
anthers 0.6–0.8 mm; styles 0.8–1.2(–1.4) mm; stigmas 1.4–2 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. |
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 surinamensis |
Cyperus pallidicolor |
|
Phenology | Fruiting late spring–early fall. | Fruiting summer. |
Habitat | Moist sunny areas with disturbed soils | Clearings in montane forests |
Elevation | 0–200 m (0–700 ft) | 800–1200 m (2600–3900 ft) |
Distribution |
AL; AR; FL; GA; KS; LA; MS; OK; SC; TN; TX; Mexico; Central America; South America
|
AZ; NM; Mexico; Central America; South America |
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.) |
|
Source | FNA vol. 23, p. 153. | FNA vol. 23. |
Parent taxa | Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Pycnostachys | Cyperaceae > Cyperus > subg. Cyperus |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | C. subambiguus var. pallidicolor | |
Name authority | Rottbøll: Descr. Pl. Rar., 20. (1772) | (Kükenthal) G. C. Tucker: in R. McVaugh & W. R. Anderson, Fl. Novo-Galiciana 13: 324. (1993) |
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