Aquatic and Wetland Vascular Plants of the Northern Great Plains
62. Cyperaceae, the Sedge Family
3. Cyperus L. -- Galingale, umbrella sedge8. Cyperus odoratus L. -- Coarse cyperus
Tufted or solitary annual 4-40 cm tall, fibrous-rooted, producing no stolons or tubers, the culms stout, erect to spreading. Leaves shorter than to surpassing the culms, the blades 2-6 mm wide, the involucral bracts similar, much exceeding the inflorescence. Spikelets pinnately disposed on an elongate rachis, forming several to many, rather dense, cylindrical spikes, all of these nearly sessile to form a congested inflorescence, or some of the spikes on rays to 6 cm long; spikelets 4-18 mm long; scales overlapping in the spikelets, 2-2.5 mm long, reddish-brown, with 7-13 well distributed, often faint nerves; rachilla winged, with the margins clasping the achenes, disarticulating between the scales and falling in 1-fruited segments at maturity; stamens 3; styles trifid. Achenes brown, trigonous, obovoid-oblong, 1-1.5 mm long. Late Jul--Sep. Sandy or muddy shores and stream banks; frequent from se ND, s to NE; (Pantropical, in N.Amer. n to MA, WI, MN and ND). C. speciosus Vahl, C. ferruginescens Boeckl.
 |
|
Previous Section -- Cyperus esculentus L. -- Yellow nut-sedge, chufa
Return to Family -- Cyperaceae - The Sedge Family
Next Section -- Cyperus strigosus L. -- Straw-colored cyperus
