Author

S. Humphries

Best recognition factors

Tuber-bearing perennial; stigmas 3; achenes trigonous; spikelets borne in spikes, rachis evident; rachilla persistent, winged; floral scales 6—34/spikelet, yellowish brown upon drying.

Ecology

Warm temperate to subtropical regions of the Northern Hemisphere, Growing in moist to wet disturbed soils, shores, marshes, ditches. Flowering summer to fall.

Family

Cyperaceae

Flowers

Anthers (1.2–)1.3–2(–2.1) mm; styles 3, 0.9–2.2 mm; stigmas 2–4 mm.

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Fruit

Achenes (seldom maturing) brown, sessile, ellipsoid, apex obtuse, surfaces with tiny reticulations.

Habit and stem features

Perennial; stoloniferous; bearing tubers; culms mostly solitary, trigonous growing to ca. 90 cm tall.

Inflorescences

Broadly ellipsoid to ovoid or hemispheric mostly 12–30 × 12–35 mm; rachis 4–17 mm; rays 4–10, (0.3–)2–12 cm; bracts 3–7, leaf-like, ± horizontal to ascending at 45–75°, ca. 1.5–30 cm × 0.5–4 mm.

Leaves

Leaves basal 3-7, Slender, 20--50 cm x 2--8 mm. Blades V-shaped in cross section.

References

Flora of North America Editorial Committee. 1997. Flora of North America-Volume 23:

Magnoliophyta: Commelinidae (in part): Cyperaceae.

Godfrey, R. K. and J. W. Wooten. 1979. Aquatic and Wetland Plants of the Southeastern United States, Monocotyledons. The University of Georgia Press, Athens.

IPNI. 2004. The International Plant Names Index. http://www.ipni.org/index.html.        

USDA, NRCS. 2005. The PLANTS Database. http://www.plants.usda.gov    

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Species name

Cyperus esculentus L. var. macrostachyus Boeckl.

Spikelets

Divaricately spreading at a 75–90° angle with rachis, 10–40 × 2.4–3 mm; floral scales 6—34, ovate, widest at midlength, 2.7–3.6 × 1.8–2.4 mm; rachilla 3—25 mm, persistent, 0.3–0.5 mm wide, with hyaline wings.

Synonyms

Cyperus esculentus var. lutesceus (Torrey & Hooker) Kükenthal
Cyperus esculentus var. sprucei C. B. Clark
Cyperus lutescens Torrey & Hooker
Cyperus ruficomus Buckley