Cyperaceae
Cladium
Cladium mariscus

Cladium mariscus subsp. jamaicense (Crantz) Kük.

First published in Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 40(1): 523 (1938)
This subspecies is accepted
The native range of this subspecies is Tropical & Subtropical America. It is a perennial or rhizomatous geophyte and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Type
Type from Jamaica (ubi?)
Ecology
In bogs, swamps, dry marshes and lake edges, 1000–2300 m
Conservation
Least Concern (LC) due to its wide distribution and common habitat.
Note
This species can be confused with Rhynchospora corymbosa. Differences can be found in spikelet size, and absence or presence of perianth bristles. The spikelets of C. mariscus are shorter then those of R. corymbosa.
Distribution
Flora districts: U2 U4 K3 K4 T4 T7 Range: Cape Verde, T Cameroon, T Congo-Kinshasa, T Burundi, T Ethiopia, T Angola, T Zambia, T Malawi, T Mozambique, T Botswana, T South Africa; Caribbean
[FTEA]

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
Jamaica, no further details.
Morphology General Habit
Perennial herb to 4 m high; rhizomes and stolons developed
Morphology Culms
Culms rounded or somewhat trigonous, noded, basally covered by scales and thickened leaf-bases
Morphology Leaves
Leaves large, 200 × 5 cm, dark green, margins and abaxial midrib scabrid; upper leaves narrower with tubular sheaths, uppermost indistinguishable from involucral bracts, bearing inflorescence branches
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence paniculate, a series of inverted triangular, club-shaped branches (longest side uppermost) with numerous dark brown, closely-packed, short-stalked sessile spikelets in groups of 3–15
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising a lowest branch scale (prophyll) 1–3 mm long, with 2 distinct nerves and 3–5 sterile glumes, then by one with bisexual floret, uppermost glumes reduced, seldom fertile, largest glumes 2–3.5 mm long, glabrous, apices obtuse
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Perianth
Perianth lacking
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 2
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style 3-branched, long; style base darkening with age, persistent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Nutlet 2–3 × 2 mm, lanceolate to ovoid, rounded, never angled, pale to dark brown, surface smooth, becoming faintly longitudinally ridged with wrinkles between ridges in age; usually water-distributed.
Distribution
Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique. Also in West Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Angola, Namibia, South Africa (Eastern, Western and Northern Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West), Madagascar and in the Old and New World Tropics.
Ecology
Mostly fringing permanent water bodies (rivers, lakes, occasionally swamps), localised stands blend with grasses and other vegetation of equal height; 10–1400 m.
Conservation
Widespread; not threatened.
Recognition
Cladium mariscus subsp. jamaicense is characterized by the very serrated and sharp edges to the leaves and bracts. It bears some resemblance to Rhynchospora corymbosa, which has a less compact inflorescence with larger, paler spikelets.
[FZ]

George R. Proctor (2012). Flora of the Cayman Isands (Second Edition). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Ecology
Crantz, Inst. R. Herb. 1: 362 (1766).
Vernacular
CUTTING GRASS, SAWGRASS
Vegetative Multiplication Rhizomes
Rhizomes elongate, woody, 4–6 mm thick, clothed with brown papery overlapping scales
Morphology Culms
Culms 1–3 m tall, up to 2.5 cm thick near base, obscurely 3-angled, leafy; cauline leaves numerous, up to 1 m long or more, 6–20 mm wide, of hard texture, the margins very scabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Panicles several in leaf-axils along upper part of the culms, densely or laxly compound-umbelliform, mostly 2–12 cm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets narrowly ovoid, 4–5 mm long, brown, acute
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Perianth
Perianth lacking
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 2, anthers 3 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Achenes ovoid, 2 mm long, acute, brown and somewhat rugose.
Distribution
Grand Cayman. Pantropical as a species, but subsp. jamaicense confined to the American tropics.
[Cayman]

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. 0 - 500 m.; Pacífico.
Morphology General Habit
Hierba
Conservation
No Evaluada
[CPLC]

Uses

Use
The tough leaves are used in Jamaica for weaving baskets.
[Cayman]

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 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

  • Flora of the Cayman Islands

    • Flora of the Cayman Islands
    • 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 2026. 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 2026. 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