Southern Wetland Flora
Field Office Guide to Plant Species
Fimbristylis dichotoma (L.) Vahl
- Family: Sedge (Cyperaceae)
- Flowering: July-September
- Field Marks: Species of Fimbristylis do not have tubercles on their achenes, nor are their achenes subtended by bristles. This species differs from others in the genus by being a perennial that lacks rhizomes, and its achenes that have up to 12 rows of rectangular pits.
- Habitat: Moist disturbed areas, ditches, wet meadows, savannas.
- Habit: Perennial tufted herb with fibrous roots.
- Stems: Upright, unbranched, smooth, up to 2 1/2 feet tall.
- Leaves: Elongated, very sharply pointed, up to 1/4 inch wide, much shorter than the stems; leaf sheaths somewhat hairy.
- Flowers: Borne in spikelets, with several spikelets in umbel-like clusters.
- Spikelets: Several-flowered, oblongoid to narrowly ovoid, up to 1/3-3/4 inch long, up to 1/6 inch wide; scales oblong to ovate, with a short point at the tip.
- Sepals: 0.
- Petals: 0.
- Stamens: 1-2.
- Pistils: Ovary superior.
- Fruits: Achenes lenticular, about 1/12 inch long, with up to 12 horizontal rows of rectangular pits.
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