Cyperus difformis L.

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/164294/120151068

Conservation

LC - least concern

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

Naturalizada en Colombia.

Morphology General Habit

Hierba

Conservation

No Evaluada

Distribution

Naturalised in Colombia.

Habit

Herb.

Conservation

IUCN Red List Assessment (2021): LC.

J. Browning, K.D. Gordon-Gray†, M. Lock, H. Beentje, K. Vollesen, K. Bauters, C. Archer, I. Larridon, M. Xanthos, P. Vorster, J. Bruhl, K. Wilson and X. Zhang (2020). Flora Zambesiaca Volume: 14: Cyperaceae. M.Á. García, J.R. Timberlake (Eds). Kew Publish

Type

India, Herb. Linn. No. 70.10 (LINN lectotype), lectotypified by Tucker (Syst. Bot. Monogr. 43: 50, 1994).

Morphology General Habit

Annual or sometimes short-lived perennial to 55(67) cm tall; culms 2.5–55 cm long, 1.4–3.2 mm wide, trigonous, smooth

Morphology Leaves

Leaves up to 46 cm long; leaf sheath green to reddish-brown, 2–10.5 cm long; leaf blade linear, flat, 9–38 cm long, 2.4–8.3 mm wide, glabrous to scabrid on primary veins and margins, apex acuminate Basal leaves without blades

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts

Involucral bracts leaf-like, spreading, 2–4, (3)8–35 cm long, 3–6.4 mm wide

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence simple to compound, sometimes almost capitate, primary branches 0–14, 0–7 cm long; spikelets in dense digitate clusters, sessile or at the end of primary and secondary branches, 10 to many per cluster, ovoid, 2.2–8.7 × 0.8–1.4 mm wide, glumes spreading and showing nutlet when matures, axis straight, elongating when fruit matures, red with white scars where the glumes were attached; glumes pale yellowish-brown with dark reddish-brown centres, obovate to rounded, 0.5–1 × 0.3–0.8 mm wide, keel green, winged, apex shortly mucronate, rounded

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens 2; filaments 0.3–0.63 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Nutlet pale yellowish-brown, darker when fully ripe, ellipsoid-obovoid, 0.3–0.5(0.8) × 0.3–0.5 mm wide, slightly exceeding the glume, smooth to minutely papillose.

Distribution

Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique. Widespread in Africa; SE Asia and the Pacific.

Ecology

In swamps, watersides, in and by temporary pools, seasonally wet grasslands, and roadside ditches, a weed of rice fields; sea-level up to 2300 m.

Conservation

Least Concern; a widely distributed and common species.

Recognition

According to F.T.E.A. this is close to Cyperus submicrolepis but much coarser with broader leaves and culm. In the field the densely packed golden-brown inflorescences are distinctive.

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit

Slender to medium-sized annual; stems 6–80 cm long and 0.7–3 mm thick, triangular, glabrous

Morphology Leaves

Largest leaf-blades 5–25 cm long and 2–6 mm wide, flat, smooth or scabrid on margin and midrib; sheaths green to reddish brown, rather wide, the basal without leaf-blades

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence a solitary congested anthela or with many subumbellately arranged heads giving an anthela 1–8 cm wide, and with 2–3 leafy bracts; largest involucral bract 3–25 cm long and 1–6 mm wide, erect or spreading, much overtopping the inflorescence; each head 5–12 mm in diam. and with 10–60 spikelets in digitate clusters

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets 2–6 x 0.8–1.2 mm, pale yellowish grey to dark brown, 6–30-flowered

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume

Glumes 0.6–0.8 mm long, obovate, yellowish to dark reddish brown with a wide green midrib ending in a short mucro

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style

Style 3-branched

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Nutlet 0.6–0.8 x 0.3–0.4 mm, triangular, obovate-elliptic, yellowish brown, minutely papillose.

Distribution

S3 pantropical, also in southern Europe.

Ecology

Altitude below 50 m.

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

Type

Type: India, Herb. Linn. No. 70.10 (LINN, lecto.), chosen by Tucker in Syst. Bot. Monogr. 43: 50 (1994)

Morphology General Habit

Perennial or annual up to 67 cm tall.

Morphology Culms

Culms 13–61 cm long, 1.4–3.2 mm wide, trigonous, smooth

Morphology Leaves

Leaf sheath green to reddish-brown, 2–10.5 cm long. Leaf blade linear, flat, 9–38 cm long, 2.4–8.3 mm wide, glabrous to scabrid on primary veins and margins, apex acuminate Leaves up to 46 cm long. Basal leaves without blades

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts

Involucral bracts leaf-like, spreading, 2–4, 8–35 cm long, 3–6.4 mm wide

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence simple to compound, sometimes almost capitate, primary branches 0–14, 0–7 cm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets in dense digitate clusters, sessile or at the end of primary and secondary branches, 10–many per cluster, ovoid, 2.2–8.7 mm long, 0.8–1.4 mm wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume

Glumes pale yellowish-brown to dark reddish-brown, obovate to rounded, 0.5–1 mm long, 0.3–0.8 mm wide, keel green, winged, apex shortly mucronate, seemingly rounded Glumes spreading and showing nutlet when matures, axis straight, elongating when fruit matures, red with white scars where the glumes were attached.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens 2.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Filaments

Filaments 0.3–0.6 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Nutlet pale yellowish-brown, ellipsoid-obovoid, 0.5–0.8 mm long, 0.3–0.5 mm wide, slightly exceeding the glume, smooth to minutely papillose.

Ecology

In swamps, alongside water edges, in temporary pools, seasonally wet grasslands, and roadside ditches; sea-level up to 1700 m

Conservation

Least Concern (LC) due to its wide distribution and common habitat.

Note

Close to C. submicrolepis but much coarser with broader leaves and culm.

Distribution

Range: Widespread in Africa; SE Asia, Pacific Flora districts: U1 U2 U3 U4 K3 K4 K5 K7 T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 ZP