Cyperaceae
Cyperus
Cyperus alternifolius

Cyperus alternifolius subsp. flabelliformis Kük.

First published in H.G.A.Engler (ed.), Pflanzenr., IV, 20(Heft 101): 193 (1936)
This subspecies is accepted
The native range of this subspecies is Tropical Africa to KwaZulu-Natal, Madagascar, Arabian Peninsula. It is a perennial or rhizomatous geophyte and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Robust perennial with a 2–10 mm thick creeping woody rhizome and several stems usually placed in a straight row
Morphology Stem
Stems 25–150 cm long, 1.5–7 mm thick (but to 12 mm across the leaf-sheaths), rounded with longitudinal ridges, minutely scabrid; the basal part covered with leaf-sheaths and shorter black scales
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades absent or the uppermost sheath with a 1–8 cm long somewhat leafy limb (the function of the leaves has been taken over by the leafy involucral bracts)
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a compound anthela 5–25 cm in diam., subtended by 15–25 leafy involucral bracts; bracts 10–35 cm long and 3–20 mm wide, scabrid on margin and major ribs, spirally arranged along a 1–5 cm long axis; largest peduncle 3–13 cm long; each spikelet-cluster digitate consisting of 3–20 spikelets, if more than 10 then the cluster is almost capitate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets 2–10 x 1–2.5 mm, ligth to medium brown, lanceolate, much compressed, 15–30-flowered
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes 1–2 mm long, straw-coloured or golden to reddish brown with 3-keeled midrib excurrent in a short mucro or acute tip
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style 3-branched
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Nutlet 0.8–0.9 x 0.4–0.5 mm, triangular, lanceolate to oblong, yellow as young turning brownish when mature, minutely papillose.
Distribution
N1 widespread in tropical Africa.
Ecology
Altitude range 1000–1300 m.
[FSOM]

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
Ethiopia, Adua, Schimper 55 (P holotype, HAL, K).
Morphology General Habit
Perennial, robust, up to 2 m tall, with a creeping rhizome 2–10 mm in diameter and several culms usually arranged in a row, the bases touching one another; culms 66–160 cm long, 3–8 mm wide, rounded to trigonous, with longitudinal ridges, glabrous to sometimes minutely scabrid, the base covered with black fibrous remains from old leaf sheaths; sheath almost black, pale brown to green, 1–36 cm long; blade absent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Involucral bracts many, leaf-like, spreading, spirally arranged along a 1–5 cm long axis, the longest 18–37 cm long, 0.8–1.5 cm wide, linear, flat, scabrid, apex acute, the upper ones progressively narrower and shorter
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence once to twice anthelate, primary branches many, 3.5–10 cm long; spikelets in digitate clusters at the end of secondary and tertiary branches, 5–20 per cluster, lanceolate to elliptic-ovoid, much compressed, 3.5–11 mm long, 1.4–3 mm wide; glumes very pale brown, golden brown to reddish brown, elliptic-ovate, 1.4–2.2 mm long, 0.9–1.6 mm wide, 3-keeled, green, apex acute, sometimes slightly mucronate, glabrous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 3; filaments 1.6–2.2 mm long; anthers 0.8–1.4 mm long; the connective protruding into a needle-like apex
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Nutlet yellow to brown, narrowly ovoid to oblong, trigonous, 0.8–1.1 mm long, 0.5–0.6 mm wide, papillose.
Distribution
Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique. Widespread in tropical Africa from Senegal to Somalia and south to South Africa.
Ecology
Streambanks, riverbanks, lakesides, by hot springs; usually in permanently wet sites; 50–1550 m.
Conservation
Least Concern; widespread in Africa.
[FZ]

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

Type
Type: Ethiopia, Adua, Schimper 55 (P, holo.; HAL, K!, iso.)
Morphology General Habit
Perennial, robust, up to 2 m tall, with a creeping rhizome, 2–10 mm in diameter and several culms usually placed in a row.
Morphology Culms
Culms 66–160 cm long, 3–8 mm wide, rounded to trigonous, with longitudinal ridges, glabrous to sometimes minutely scabrid, the base covered with black fibrous remains from old leaf sheaths.
Morphology Leaves Leaf sheaths
Sheath almost black, pale brown to green, 1–36 cm long; blade absent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Involucral bracts many. Leaf-like, spreading, spirally arranged along a 1–5 cm long axis, 18–37 cm long, 0.8–1.5 cm wide, linear, flat, scabrid, apex acute
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence compound, primary branches many, 3.5–10 cm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets in digitate clusters at the end of secondary and tertiary branches, 5–20 per cluster, lanceolate to elliptic-ovoid, much compressed, 3.5–11 mm long, 1.4–3 mm wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes very pale brown, golden brown to reddish brown, elliptic-ovate, 1.4–2.2 mm long, 0.9–1.6 mm wide, 3-keeled, green, apex acute, sometimes slightly mucronate, glabrous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 3: filaments 1.6–2.2 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers
Anthers 0.8–1.4 mm long; the connective protruding into a needlelike apex
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Nutlet yellow to brown, narrowly ovoid to oblong, trigonous, 0.7–1.1 mm long, 0.5–0.6 mm wide, minutely papillose
Figures
Fig. 28, p 188
Ecology
Swamps, grasslands, lake shores, streambanks; 30–2150 m
Conservation
Least Concern (LC) due to its wide distribution and common habitat.
Note
Widely distributed as an ornamental.
Distribution
Range: Senegal, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Congo Brazaville, Congo-Kinshasha, Rwanda, Burundi, Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, South Africa Flora districts: U1 U2 U3 U4 K1 K2 K4 K6 K7 T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 Z
[FTEA]

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; Alt. 900 - 2900 m.; Andes, Valle del Cauca.
Morphology General Habit
Hierba, acuática
Conservation
No Evaluada
[CPLC]

Sources

  • 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

  • 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/

  • 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

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images