Cyperaceae
Cladium

Cladium mariscus (L.) Pohl

First published in Tent. Fl. Bohem. 1: 32 (1809)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is America, Azores, Temp. Eurasia, N. Africa, Australia to SW. Pacific. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the temperate biome. It is used as a medicine, has environmental uses and for fuel and food.

Descriptions

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/164157/65910896

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Colombia
[CPLC]

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Pacific. Elevation range: 0–500 m a.s.l. Native to Colombia. Colombian departments: Chocó, Valle del Cauca.
Habit
Herb.
Conservation
IUCN Red List Assessment (2021): LC.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: shrubland.
[UPFC]

Cyperaceae, K Hoenselaar, B. Verdcourt & H. Beentje. Hypolytrum, D Simpson. Fuirena, M Muasya. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2010

Type
Type: “Habitat in Europae paludibus”, Herb. Linn. No. 68.1 (LINN, lecto., chosen by Kukkonen in Cafferty & Jarvis (ed.), Taxon 53: 179 (2004))
Morphology General Habit
Leafy perennial, up to 5 m high, stoloniferous and with an erect woody rhizome, ± 1 cm in diameter; multiple stolons arizing from one rhizome, 5–20 cm long, 5 mm thick, with many scales. Large.
Morphology Culms
Culms rounded, sometimes very bluntly trigonous, up to 2.4 m long, 0.4–2.2 cm wide, glabrous, hollow except for the nodes; at the nodes of the stem sometimes vegetative shoots produced, breaking through the leaf sheath, often eventually falling off the culm
Morphology Leaves
Leaf blade linear, plicate, 59–225 cm long, 0.7–2.8 cm wide, apex acuminate, with spine-like teeth Leaves up the culm with brown leaf sheath 5–18 cm long. Basal leaves without leaf sheath, linear, plicate, with spine-like teeth on margins and midrib.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Lowermost inflorescence bracts similar to topmost leaves
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Spikes clustered at the end of secondary and primary branches Inflorescence an up to 90 cm long panicle with long primary branches; secondary and tertiary branches 0.5–2 cm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets 3–7 per spike, lanceolate, ellipsoid to ovoid, widening during maturation, 3.1–5.7 mm long, 0.6–1.3 mm wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes spirally arranged, 5–7 per spikelet, the lower 3–5 empty, the following glume with 2 stamens, and the top glume bearing bisexual flowers, all glumes pale to dark brown, ovate, increasing in size towards the apex of the spikelet, the longest 2.5–4 mm long, 1.5–2 mm wide, glabrous, keel 1-veined, narrow, apex obtuse, sometimes acute
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Perianth
Perianth absent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 2(–3) in both glumes.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Filaments
Filaments 3.5–4 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers
Anthers 2.1–2.5 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stigma
Stigma-branches 2–3
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Nutlet pale brown, ovoid, 2.7–3 mm long, 1.1–1.8 mm wide, slightly or more strongly irregularly wrinkled, the base of the style persistent as a minute blackish knob or as a longer filiform apex
Figures
Fig. 54, p365
[FTEA]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular
cortadera
[UNAL]

Uses

Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
Use Fuel
Used for fuels.
Use Food
Used for food.
Use Materials
Used as material.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
[UPFC]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0