Cyperus surinamensis |
Cyperus pseudothyrsiflorus |
|
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tropical flatsedge |
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, base thickened, tuberous, 15–40 cm × 2–2.6 mm, glabrous. |
Leaves | 3–9, V-shaped, (12–)25–45(–65) cm × 2–10 mm; blades and bracts without cross ribs. |
flat to V-shaped, 10–30 cm × (3–)4–5.8 mm. |
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. |
spike 1, densely oblong to ellipsoid, 10–20 × 10–20 mm; rays 4–12, 10–20 cm bracts 3–6, horizontal to ascending at 30°, V-shaped, 3–15 cm × (3–)4(–5.8) mm; rachilla deciduous, wings persistent, 0.5–0.7 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. |
(5–)10–20(–30), linear to oblong, quadrangular, (2.2–)4–12(–16) × 0.7–1.2 mm, densly packed on rachis with 11–21 spikelets per 5 mm rachis; distal spikelet spreading or ascending; floral scales persistent, 1–5, appressed, laterally whitish to reddish brown, medially green, narrowly oblong to ovate, laterally 3–6-ribbed, 2.4–3.4 × 1.6–2 mm, apex rounded to ± acute, entire, mucronate, mucro 0.1–0.3 mm; sterile terminal scale, involute, only 0.4–0.6 mm wide with mucro 0.2–0.5 mm. |
Flowers | stamen 1; anthers 0.5 mm; styles 0.8–1.1 mm; stigmas 0.5 mm. |
anthers (0.3–)0.4–0.7 mm; styles 0.4–0.5 mm; stigmas 0.5–0.9 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. |
light brown, sessile to slightly stipitate, ellipsoid to narrowly ellipsoid to narrowly obovoid, 1.4–1.9 × 0.5–0.75 mm, apex slightly apiculate, surfaces puncticulate. |
Cyperus surinamensis |
Cyperus pseudothyrsiflorus |
|
Phenology | Fruiting late spring–early fall. | Fruiting mid summer–early fall (Jul–Sep). |
Habitat | Moist sunny areas with disturbed soils | Damp, disturbed soils, croplands |
Elevation | 0–200 m (0–700 ft) | 0–1000 m (0–3300 ft) |
Distribution |
AL; AR; FL; GA; KS; LA; MS; OK; SC; TN; TX; Mexico; Central America; South America
|
TX; Mexico |
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. uniflorus var. pseudothyrsiflorus | |
Name authority | Rottbøll: Descr. Pl. Rar., 20. (1772) | (Kükenthal) J. Rich. Carter & S. D. Jones: Rhodora 99: 330. (1998) |
Web links |