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perennial greenhead sedge, short leaf spikesedge

Asiatic greenhead sedge, pasture greenhead-sedge, pasture spikesedge

Habit Plants perennial, cespitose or not, long-creeping rhizomatous. Plants perennial, not cespitose, long-creeping rhizomatous.
Culms

sometimes spaced to 3 cm apart, (5–)12–25(–55) cm, smooth.

10–35(–50) cm, smooth.

Leaves

flat, 2–21 cm × 1.5–3.5 mm.

flat, 10–30 cm × 1–3.5 mm.

Inflorescences

spikes 1–3, 4–7 × 4 mm;

bracts 3–4, longest ± erect, others ascending to horizontal, flat, 1.5–18 cm × 1–3.3 mm.

spike 1, ovoid, 7–12 × 6–10 mm;

bracts 3–4, horizontal to slightly reflexed, flat, 2–20(–30) cm × 1–3 mm.

Spikelets

(20–)40–60(–100), pale greenish or reddish brown, ovate, (2.2–)2.5–2.8(–3.2) × (0.6–)0.7–0.8(–1.2) mm;

floral scales laterally 2–3-veined, elliptic to ovate, 1.8–3 × (0.8–)1.1–1.6 mm, midvein not winged, apex mucronate;

stamens (1–)2;

anthers 0.8–1.1 mm;

style 0.6–1.2 mm;

stigmas 0.5–1.5 mm.

40–80, pale greenish or reddish brown, ovate, 3.5–4.5 × 1.2–1.3(–1.4) mm;

floral scales laterally 2(–5)-veined, elliptic, 1.8–3.2 × 1–1.6 mm, apex mucronate;

stamens 2–3;

anthers 0.8–1.1 mm;

style 1.8–2.2 mm;

stigmas 0.5–1 mm.

Achenes

brown, substipitate or stipitate, ellipsoid to oblong-ellipsoid, 1–1.2(–1.3) × 0.6–0.8 mm, stipe, if present, 0.1–0.2 mm, apex obtuse to subtruncate, apiculate, papillate.

brown, sessile or stipitate, broadly ellipsoid, 1.5–1.8 × 0.8–1 mm, stipe, if present, to 0.1 mm, apex obtuse, apiculate, puncticulate.

Kyllinga brevifolia

Kyllinga gracillima

Phenology Fruiting summer. Fruiting summer.
Habitat Damp grasslands, shorelines, ditches, croplands Muddy banks of streams and estuaries
Elevation 0–200 m (0–700 ft) 0–1000 m (0–3300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; CA; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; OK; SC; TX; Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies; Asia; Africa; Australia
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; CT; DE; GA; KY; MD; MS; NC; NJ; NY; PA; TN; VA; temperate e Asia [Introduced in North America]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Reports of Kyllinga brevifolia from Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia should be referred to as K. gracillima.

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

Source FNA vol. 23, p. 193. FNA vol. 23, p. 194.
Parent taxa Cyperaceae > Kyllinga Cyperaceae > Kyllinga
Sibling taxa
K. gracillima, K. odorata, K. pumila, K. squamulata
K. brevifolia, K. odorata, K. pumila, K. squamulata
Synonyms Cyperus brevifolius Cyperus brevifolioides, K. brevifolia var. gracillima, K. brevifolioides
Name authority Rottbøll: Descr. Icon. Rar. Pl., 13, plate 4, fig. 3. (1773) Miquel: Ann. Mus. Bot. Lugduno-Batavi 2: 142. (1866)
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