Family:
Cyperaceae Juss.
Genus:
Cyperus L.

Cyperus scaettae (Cherm.) Reynders

This species is accepted, and its native range is Ghana to W. Tanzania and Zambia.

[FWTA]

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

Morphology General Habit
Small tufted perennial
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
A white head of spikelets
Ecology
Montane grassland liable to burning.

[FTEA]

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

Type
Type: Congo-Kinshasa, Kisantu, Vanderyst 34470; Kasebeye, Scaetta 2418 & Mubeza, Scaetta 58M (all three BR, syn.); Congo, Brazzaville, Chevalier 4170 (P, syn.); Gabon, between Bangavi & Bounzotrou, Le Testu 7452 (P, syn.)
Morphology General Habit
Perennial, densely tufted, up to 20 cm high.
Morphology Culms
Culms tufted, 10.5–16 cm long, 0.3–0.5 mm wide, swollen base, trigonous, smooth
Morphology Leaves
Leaf blade 7–10 cm long, 0.7–0.8 mm wide, acute, glabrous to minutely scabrid at the apex Leaves up to 16 cm long. Leaf sheath 3.5–6 cm long, old sheaths turn into tough brownish-black fibres, surrounding the base of the culms and leaves.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Involucral bract 1. Leaf-like, erect or spreading, 5.7–7.6 cm long, 0.7–0.8 mm wide, glabrous, followed by 1 or few spikelets, than a second (and sometimes third) involucral bract
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence loosely capitate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets in a loose digitate cluster. Spikelets 5–7 per cluster, ellipsoid-ovoid, 8–11.5 mm long, 2.2–2.8 mm wide, axis straight.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes ellipticovate, glabrous, pale brownish-yellow, 2.6–2.9 mm long, 1.4–1.8 mm wide, keel flat to acute, 2–3-veined, green, keel acute to ± shortly acuminate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 3.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Filaments
Filaments 2.2–2.6 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers
Anthers 1.3 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stigma
Stigma 2-branched
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Nutlet absent.

Native to:

Cameroon, Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, Zambia, Zaïre

Cyperus scaettae (Cherm.) Reynders appears in other Kew resources:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status Has image?
Scaetta [58 M.], Congo, DRC Pycreus scaettae K000362902 Yes

First published in Phytotaxa 166: 42 (2014)

Accepted by

  • Govaerts, R., Nic Lughadha, E., Black, N., Turner, R. & Paton, A. (2021). The World Checklist of Vascular Plants, a continuously updated resource for exploring global plant diversity. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-021-00997-6 Scientific Data 8: 215.

Literature

Kew Backbone Distributions

  • Sosef, M.S.M. & al. (2006). Check-list des plantes vasculaires du Gabon Scripta Botanica Belgica 35: 1-438.

  • 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 2022. 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 2022. 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