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This species is accepted, and its native range is Tropical & S. Africa, Indian Subcontinent.
A specimen from Kew's Herbarium

[FTEA]

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

Type
Type: Ethiopia, Gon Ambra, Schimper 650 (P, holo.; BR, K!, iso.)
Morphology General Habit
Perennial, tufted, leafy
Morphology Stem
Stems 5–47 cm tall, 3-angled, 0.3–1.1 mm thick, glabrous; base swollen, conical or bulbous, covered in persistent coarse brown old leaf-base fibres
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 1–4 per stem, bright or dark green, ± half the stem length, flat or with margins inrolled, 3–22 cm long, 1–2 mm wide, margin and midrib with short spinelike hairs.
Morphology Leaves Leaf sheaths
Sheath grey or brown, 1.4–3.5 cm long, without ligule
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a dense terminal white head 3–10 mm in diameter, consisting of many tightly packed rounded pseudospikelets 2–4 mm long; pseudospikelets consisting of many 1flowered spikelets; pseudoglumes very closely packed, lanceolate, 1.2–1.7 × 0.4–0.6 mm, apex cucullate, obtuse and slightly bent, margin incurved Inflorescence bracts 2–4, spreading or recurved. Leaf-like, the longest 2–8 cm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Perianth
Perianth segments absent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamen 1(–2).
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Filaments
Filament white.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers
Anthers pale yellow, 0.5–0.7 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style 2(–3)branched Style base persistent as small dark knob
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Nutlet pale yellowish grey turning to almost black, 0.5–1.1 × 0.3–0.4 mm, with minute tubercles in rows and a metallic shine.
Figures
Fig. 22, p130
Ecology
Within the woodland zone or bushland zone on moist sand or mud, or by swamps or on thin soil over rocks, also in grassy clearings within these zones; may be locally common; 400–1950 m
Note
Milne-Redhead & Taylor 8395 states the plant can be aromatic.
Distribution
Flora districts: U1 K1 K2 K3 K4T1 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 Range: Tropical Africa from Senegal to Sudan and Ethiopia and south to Congo-Kinshasa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Botswana; India

[FWTA]

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

Morphology General Habit
A slender, tufted or shortly rhizomatous plant with swollen stem-bases covered by brownish fibres
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
The spherical white head is very similar to that of Cyperus pulchellus R. Br.
Ecology
Open woodland or savanna.

Native to:

Angola, Bangladesh, Botswana, Burkina, Caprivi Strip, Chad, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Gulf of Guinea Is., India, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Northern Provinces, Senegal, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, West Himalaya, Zambia, Zaïre, Zimbabwe

Cyperus kyllingiella Larridon appears in other Kew resources:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status
Mar 1, 2004 Carvalho [3580] Kyllinga microcephala K000267178
Schimper [650], Ethiopia Kyllingiella microcephala K000416623
Schweinfurth, G. [2053], Sudan Kyllingiella microcephala K000416624
Bidgood, S. [5944], Tanzania Kyllingiella microcephala K000468481
Bidgood, S. [5360], Tanzania Kyllingiella microcephala K000190590
Bidgood, S. [5138], Tanzania Kyllingiella microcephala K000190366
Bidgood, S. [6044], Tanzania Kyllingiella microcephala K000468381
Bidgood, S. [6209], Tanzania Kyllingiella microcephala K000468216

First published in Pl. Ecol. Evol. 144: 351 (2011)

Accepted by

  • Darbyshire, I., Kordofani, M., Farag, I., Candiga, R. & Pickering, H. (eds.) (2015). The Plants of Sudan and South Sudan: 1-400. Kew publishing, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Larridon, I., Reynders, M., Huygh, W., Bauters, K., Vrijdaghs, A., Leroux, O., Muasya, A.M., Simpson, D.A. & Goetghebeur, P. (2011). Taxonomic changes in C3 Cyperus (Cyperaceae) supported by molecular phylogenetic data, morphology, embryology, ontogeny and anatomy Plant ecology and evolution 144: 327-356.

Literature

Kew Backbone Distributions

  • Browning, J. & al. (2020). Flora Zambesiaca 14: 1-455. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Cabezas, F., Aedo, C. & Velayos, M. (2004). Checklist of the Cyperaceae of Equatorial Guinea (Annobón, Bioko, Río Muni) Belgian Journal of Botany 137: 3-26.
  • Figueiredo, E. & Smith, G.F. (2008). Plants of Angola Strelitzia 22: 1-279. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
  • Hoenselaar, K., Verdcourt, B. & Beentje, H. (2010). Cyperaceae Flora of Tropical East Africa: 1-466.
  • Mostaph, M.K. & Uddin, S.B. (2013). Dictionary of plant names of Bangladesh, Vasc. Pl.: 1-434. Janokalyan Prokashani, Chittagong, Bangladesh.

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
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 Selected Plant Families 2021. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
© Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone
The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2021. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
© Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. 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/