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green flatsedge

Illinois flatsedge, Mohlenbrock's sedge, umbrella sedge

Habit Herbs, perennial, cespitose; rhizomes 0.5–2 cm, often absent. Herbs, perennial, cespitose, rhizomatous, tuberlike.
Culms

trigonous, (20–)60–70(–100) cm × 2.4–6.9 mm, scabrid on angles.

trigonous, 5–35 cm × 0.7–1.2 mm, glabrous.

Leaves

4–12, flat to V-shaped, with readily visible cross ribs especially on abaxial surface, 20–50 cm × 3–14 mm.

V-shaped, 5–25 cm × 1.5–3.5 mm, slightly scabridulous on abaxial margins, midrib.

Inflorescences

heads digitate to hemispheric, 1–3.5 cm diam.;

rays 6–12, 1–9(–14) cm; 2d order rays often present, (0.5–)1–3 cm; 3d order rays occasionally present, 5–12 mm;

bracts 4–8, horizontal to ascending at 30°, with prominent cross ribs,V-shaped, (1.5–)3–50(–75) cm × 0.5–13 mm; 2d order bracts 3–10 × 1–2 mm.

spikes loosely ± globose, 15–25 mm wide;

rays 1–10 cm;

rachis 1–4 mm;

bracts 3–7, ascending, V-shaped, 3–20 cm × 1–3 mm;

rachilla deciduous, wingless.

Spikelets

10–40(–50), oblong to linear-lanceoloid, 5–18 × 2–3.2 mm;

floral scales 10–40, pale grayish brown, or greenish, proximally greenish or brownish, oblanceolate, 2-keeled, weakly to distinctly 1-ribbed, proximal half 2-ribbed, (1.3–)1.5–2(–2.4) × 0.9–1.4 mm, apex acute (sometimes mucronulate), apically glabrous, occasionally scabridulous.

3–24, compressed, oblong-lanceoloid, 4–12 × 2.5–3.2 mm;

floral scales deciduous, 3–9, pale reddish brown, ovate, laterally 3–5-ribbed, 2.5–3 × 2–2.4 mm, apex acute to obtuse.

Flowers

stamens 1–2;

anthers 0.8–1.4 mm;

styles 0.8–1 mm;

stigmas 0.6–0.8 mm.

anthers 1–1.2 mm;

styles 0.4–0.6 mm;

stigmas 1–2 mm.

Achenes

brown, slightly to distinctly stipitate, ellipsoid (2.7–4.1 times as long as wide), (0.9–)1.2–1.5 × 0.3–0.4 mm, apical beak 0.1–0.5 mm, surfaces glabrous.

dark brown, ± stipitate, ellipsoid, 2–2.4 × 0.9–1.2 mm, apex obtuse, apiculate, surfaces glabrous, puncticulate, or papillose.

2n

= 166.

Cyperus virens

Cyperus grayoides

Phenology Fruiting spring–fall. Fruiting summer.
Habitat Wet pastures, marshes, roadside ditches Sand prairies, waste places, fallow fields
Elevation 100–300 m (300–1000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; SC; TX; Mexico; Central America; South America
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AR; IL; LA; MO; TX
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Cyperus virens was found as waif in California in the 1800s (M. F. Denton 1978b; G. C. Tucker 1993b).

Cyperus virens is readily distinguished from other species of subg. Pycnostachys by its trigonous culms, scabrid angles, and leaves and inflorescence bracts conspicuously septate by numerous cross ribs between the main ribs.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Of conservation concern.

Cyperus grayoides is in the Center for Plant Conservation’s National Collection of Endangered Plant’s. See frontispiece.

(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
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. 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. 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. 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. 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
Name authority Michaux: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 1: 28. (1803) Mohlenbrock: Brittonia 11: 255, fig. 1. (1959)
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