Cyperus squarrosus L.

First published in Cent. Pl. II: 6 (1756)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tropics & Subtropics to N. America. It is an annual and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome. It is used for food.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Fairly slender annual with solitary or crowded stems and a minute root-system
Morphology Stem
Stems 3–20 cm long and 1–3 mm thick, triangular, almost glabrous, not swollen at the base
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 2–10 cm long and 1–4 mm wide, flat, slightly scabrid or glabrous; sheaths green to purple, rather wide
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a 1–5 cm long and 1–4 cm wide anthela consisting of 1–2 sessile spikes and 1–7 stalked spikes on 0.5–4 cm long peduncles, rarely reduced to a solitary spike Spikes 0.5–1.5 x 0.5–1.2 cm, consisting of numerous crowded spikelets
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets 3–7 x 2–3 mm, linear, yellowish green to reddish brown, flattened, squarrose with recurved glume-apices, 6–15-flowered
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes 1.4–1.7 mm long, elliptic, yellow to reddish brown with a green strongly excurrent midrib and 3–4 nerves on each side of the midrib
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamen 1
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style with 3 long branches
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Nutlet 0.6–0.7 x 0.2–0.3 mm, narrowly oblong, triangular, dark grey, minutely papillose, disarticulating at its base but held by the persistent glume so that it falls with the spikelet.
Distribution
S1 pantropical, but rare in America.
Ecology
Sea-level to 250 m.
[FSOM]

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

Type
Type: India, LINN, lecto.
Morphology General Habit
Annual, fairly slender, up to 40 cm tall, not swollen at base, with a minute rootsystem.
Morphology Culms
Culms solitary or crowded and tufted, 1–33 cm long, 0.4–3 mm wide, trigonous, almost glabrous
Morphology Leaves
Leaf sheath green to purple, rather wide, 0.6–4.7cm long. Leaves up to 19 cm long. Leaf blade linear, flat, 2–13.5 cm long, 1–4 mm wide, slightly scabrid to glabrous, apex acuminate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Involucral bracts leaf-like, erect to spreading, 2–5, lowermost 1.6–14 cm long, 1–5 mm wide
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a simple anthela, primary branches 1–7, 0.5–7 cm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets in dense spikes, sessile and at the end of primary branches, 6–41 per spike, crowded, linear, 2–7 mm long, 1.5–3 mm wide, flattened, squarrose with recurved glume-apices, 5–15-flowered.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes yellowish to reddish-brown, elliptic, 1.4–2.7 mm long (including 0.3–1.1 mm long mucro), 0.3–0.4 mm wide, keel green, strongly excurrent with 3–4 veins on either side, apex strongly mucronate, recurved
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 1.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers
Anthers 0.2–0.3 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Nutlet dark grey, narrowly oblong to obovoid, trigonous, 0.5–0.8 mm long, 0.2–0.4 mm wide, minutely papillose, disarticulating at its base but held by persistent glume so that it falls with the spikelet
Figures
Fig. 33, p216
Ecology
Grassland, roadside, shallow sandy washes; 200–2000 m
Conservation
Least Concern (LC)
Distribution
Flora districts: U1 U2 U3 K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 Range: Widespread in Africa, India, Australia, the Americas
[FTEA]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/177290/120154840

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
Nativa en Colombia; Alt. 10 m.; Llanura del Caribe.
Morphology General Habit
Hierba
Conservation
No Evaluada
[CPLC]

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, (LINN lectotype).
Morphology General Habit
Annual, fairly slender, up to 25 cm tall, not swollen at base, with a small root system; culms solitary or crowded and tufted, 1–26 cm long, 0.4–3 mm wide, trigonous, almost glabrous
Morphology Leaves
Leaves up to 16 cm long; leaf sheath green to purple, rather wide, 0.6–4.7cm long; leaf blade linear, flat, 2–13.5 cm long, 1–4 mm wide, slightly scabrid to glabrous, apex acuminate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Involucral bracts leaf-like, erect to spreading, 2–5, lowermost 1.6–12 cm long, 1–5 mm wide
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a simple anthela of 1–2(3) sessile and 1–5(6) stalked branches, 0.5–7 cm long; spikelets in dense spikes, sessile and at the end of primary branches, 6–41 per spike, crowded, linear, 2–7 × 1.5–3 mm wide, flattened, squarrose with recurved glume-apices, 5–15-flowered; glumes yellowish to reddish-brown, elliptic, 1.4–2.7 mm long (including 0.3–1.1 mm long mucro), 0.3–0.4 mm wide, keel green, strongly excurrent with 3–4 veins on either side, apex strongly mucronate, recurved
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 1; anthers 0.2–0.3 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Nutlet dark grey, narrowly oblong to obovoid, trigonous, 0.5–0.8 × 0.2–0.4 mm wide, minutely papillose, disarticulating at its base but held by persistent glume so that it falls with the spikelet.
Distribution
Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique. Widespread in Africa, India, Australia, and the Americas.
Ecology
Seasonally wet grassland, roadsides and temporarily wet sandy places; 500–1650 m.
Conservation
Least Concern; a common and widespread species.
[FZ]

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Caribbean. Elevation range: 10–10 m a.s.l. Native to Colombia. Colombian departments: Atlántico.
Habit
Herb.
Conservation
IUCN Red List Assessment (2021): LC.
[UPFC]

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]

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

Morphology General Habit
Annual weed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Golden or reddish hemispherical or ovoid spikes
Morphology Leaves
Soft leaves
Ecology
Widespread in open ground.
[FWTA]

Uses

Use Food
Used for food.
[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 Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • 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
  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical 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
  • Plants and People Africa

    • Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/
    • © Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

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