Cyperaceae
Cyperus

Cyperus pumilus L.

First published in Cent. Pl. II: 6 (1756)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tropical & Subtropical Old World to N. Australia. It is an annual and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/168885/120161640

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

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. 70.34, R-hand specimen (LINN lectotype), lectotypified by Kukkonen (Taxon 53: 179, 2004).
Morphology General Habit
Slender annual; culms 1–20, erect, to 20(30) cm long and 0.5–1 mm wide, rounded, longitudinally striate, smooth
Morphology Leaves
Leaves basal, sheaths pale brown, to 3 cm long; blade flat, to 15(20) cm long and 0.5–1.5(2) mm wide, scabrid on margins and midrib near tip
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence of one sessile and 1–5(8) stalked digitate clusters each with 6–15 loosely arranged spikelets, (1)2– 6(9) × 1–5(7) cm; peduncles of stalked clusters 0.5–5(7) cm long; involucral bracts 2–4, largest leaf-like, 2–15(20) cm long, 0.5–2 mm wide, scabrid near tip or along whole length
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets 3–12 × 1–2 mm (to 20 × 3 mm in fruit), linear-lanceolate; rachis straight in fruiting stage; glumes spreading at flowering, falling at maturity, yellow to dark brown, broadly ovate-elliptic with a broad white to brown hyaline margin forming two conspicuous apical lobes, narrowing in basal part, 1–2 mm long, acute to acuminate with a recurved mucro to 0.5 mm long, keel green or brown, prominent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 1–2; filaments c. 1 mm long; anthers 0.2 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stigma
Stigma branches 2, 0.5–1 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Nutlet obovoid, apex truncate to slightly retuse, shortly apiculate, metallic grey, c. 0.5 mm long, with numerous minute papillae in longitudinal rows.
Distribution
Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique. Pantropical.
Ecology
Drying mud or sand at edges of waterholes and riverbanks, dambos, various types of wet to dry grassland, roadsides, weed in fields; 400–1600 m.
Conservation
Widespread distribution; Least Concern. In common and widespread habitats.
[FZ]

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

Morphology General Habit
Weak annual 5–40 cm. high
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Linear yellow-brown spikelets
Ecology
Wet places, often on cultivated or otherwise disturbed sandy soil.
[FWTA]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • 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

    • 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 2024. 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 2024. 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