Cyperus laevigatus L.

[FTEA]

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

Type: Type: South Africa, Cape of Good Hope, König s.n. Lectotype: Herb. Linn. No. 70.13 (LINN), chosen by Tucker & McVaugh in McVaugh (ed.), Fl. Novo-Galiciana 13: 308 (1993)
Morphology General Habit: Perennial, up to 96 cm tall, with a long creeping rhizome, to 30 cm or more long, 1–5 mm in diameter, pale brown to purple-black.
Morphology Culms: Culms tufted, crowded, or spaced along the rhizome, 3–95 cm long, 0.5–4.4 mm wide, rounded to trigonous, sometimes triquetrous, glabrous, the base covered with short scales
Morphology Leaves: Leaves up to 16 cm long. Leaf sheath pale to dark purple brown, 1.5–14 cm long, rather loose. Leaf blade sometimes absent but when present linear, inrolled, almost culm-like, 2.2–6.5 cm long, 0.5–2 mm wide, scabrid on margin but appears glabrous as margins are inrolled, apex acute
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts: Involucral bract one. Leaf-like, upright and continuing in the direction of the culm, making the inflorescence appear lateral, 1.1–3.8 cm long, 1–1.5 mm wide
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences: Inflorescence capitate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets: Spikelets 1 to 24 per head, loosely crowded, linear to lanceolate, 5–25 mm long, 1.5–4.1 mm wide, rachis straight to curved.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume: Glumes pale yellowish with reddish brown dots, sometimes dark red to almost black on the wings, broadly elliptic, 2.5–4.1 mm long, 1.8–2.1 mm wide, very closely overlapping, apex acute, shortly mucronate or frayed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens: Stamens 2.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Filaments: Filaments 2.7–3.2 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers: Anthers 1.2–1.9 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style: Style with 2 long linear branches
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits: Nutlet grey to brown, often shiny, obovoid to ellipsoid, flat on one side, rounded on the other, 1.4–2.1 mm long, 0.8–1.2 mm wide, shortly apiculate, smooth but with distinct rather large isodiametric surface-cells
Figures: Fig.25.
Ecology: On (salt-)lake shores, streambanks, in (temporary) pools and flood areas, and near hot springs, often forming dense mats; sea-level to 2300 m
Conservation: Least Concern due to its wide distribution
Note: Confused with Pycreus but the flat side of the nutlet is pressed against the rachilla, while in Pycreus one of the edges is pressed into the rachilla.
Distribution: Flora districts: U2 U3 K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 Range: Widespread in Africa

[CPLC]

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: Nativa en Colombia; Alt. 100 m.; Pacífico.
Morphology General Habit: Hierba
Conservation: No Evaluada

[UPFC]

Distribution: Biogeografic region: Pacific. Elevation range: 100–100 m a.s.l. Native to Colombia. Colombian departments: Valle del Cauca.
Habit: Herb.
Conservation: IUCN Red List Assessment (2021): LC.

[FWTA]

Cyperaceae, Miss S. S. Hooper. Flora of West Tropical Africa 3:2. 1972

Morphology General Habit: A creeping, rush-like sedge, varying much in size
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences: Constantly with an erect bract and a capitate, pseudo-lateral inflorescence of sessile, white spikelets
Ecology: Damp sandy places, particularly on the margins of brackish pools.

[FSOM]

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

Morphology General Habit: Tufted perennial with crowded stems or stems solitary on a long creeping rhizome
Vegetative Multiplication Rhizomes: Rhizome 1–5 mm thick, light brown to purplish black
Morphology Stem: Stems usually 3–60(–150) cm long and 0.5–2(–6) mm thick, rounded to triangular or angular, glabrous, the basal part covered with short scales and rather loose leaf-sheaths and the stem therefore wider across the sheaths
Morphology Leaves: Leaves to 4 cm long and 0.5–2 mm wide, usually inrolled and almost stem-like, scabrid on margin, blade sometimes absent; sheaths light to dark purple brown, all or the lowest only without leaf-blades
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences: Inflorescence a solitary spikelet or more commonly a lax to crowded head of 2–30 spikelets (rarely to 80 spikelets), 0.5–3.5 cm in diam.; major involucral bract 1–3 cm long, scabrid on margin, slightly flattened but stem-like and continuing in the direction of the stem, the inflorescence therefore apparently lateral
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets: Spikelets 5–20 x 1.5–3 mm, straight or curved, linear to lanceolate, somewhat flattened, pale yellowish grey, rarely variegated dark brown, 15–30-flowered
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume: Glumes 2–3.5 mm long, very closely overlapping, broadly elliptic, rounded on the back that is without keel except near the tip, pale yellowish with reddish brown dots; apex acute, shortly mucronate or frayed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens: Stamens 3
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style: Style with 2 long branches
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits: Nutlet 1.5–1.7 x 0.8–1 mm, obovate with short apiculus, flat on 1 side, rounded on the other, grey to brown; surface smooth but with distinct rather large isodiametric surface-cells.
Distribution: N1, 2; C2 pantropical.
Ecology: Sea-level to 1200 m. alt.

[UPFC]

Use Animal Food: Used as animal food.
Use Food: Used for food.
Use Materials: Used as material.
Use Medicines: Medical uses.

Native to:

Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Arizona, Baleares, Bolivia, Botswana, Burundi, California, Canary Is., Cape Provinces, Cape Verde, Caprivi Strip, Chad, Chile Central, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, East Aegean Is., Ecuador, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, France, Free State, Galápagos, Gilbert Is., Greece, Guatemala, Gulf States, Hawaii, India, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Jamaica, Kenya, Kriti, KwaZulu-Natal, Lebanon-Syria, Leeward Is., Lesotho, Libya, Madagascar, Madeira, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, New South Wales, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, North Carolina, Northern Provinces, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Peru, Puerto Rico, Queensland, Rodrigues, Rwanda, Réunion, Sardegna, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sicilia, Sinai, Socotra, Somalia, South Australia, Spain, St.Helena, Sudan, Swaziland, Tadzhikistan, Tanzania, Texas, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Venezuelan Antilles, Vietnam, Western Australia, Western Sahara, Windward Is., Yemen, Zambia, Zaïre, Zimbabwe

Extinct in:

Portugal

Introduced into:

Chile North