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Electronic Flora of South Australia species Fact Sheet

Family: Cyperaceae
Cyperus vaginatus

Citation: R. Br., Prod. Fl. Nov. Holl. 213 (1810).

Synonymy: Not Applicable

Common name: Flat-sedge.

Description:
Densely tufted perennial, with a short thick horizontal rhizome; stems 30-150 cm long, slender, erect, oblique or somewhat nodding, cylindrical, smooth, faintly striate; leaves reduced to membranous sheaths; bracts several, mostly 5-8, subequal, flat, 2-6 mm wide, acute, rigid, at least 5 cm and to 15 cm long, longer (usually at least twice) than the inflorescence.

Umbel simple or compound, rather dense or reduced to a compound head, the rays when present usually short, spikelets in digitate clusters, reddish-brown, chestnut, or pale-brown, 8-40-flowered, linear or oblong-linear, acute, 8-18 mm long, 2-2.75 mm wide; rhachilla not winged; glumes tightly packed, with slightly spreading tips, acute in profile, 3-nerved on the back, sides nerveless, shining, c. 2 mm long; style 3-branched.

Nut ellipsoid or somewhat oblong, acute, cuneate to the narrow base, 0.8-1.2 x 0.5-0.6 mm, trigonous with narrow fibbed angles and convex sides, shiny, light- to dark-brown, base and tip blackish, rather less than half the length of the glume.

Distribution:  Usually grows near creeks.

S.Aust.: NW, GT, FR, EP, NL, MU, SL, KI.   All mainland States.

Conservation status: native

Flowering time: throughout the year except June — July.


SA Distribution Map based
on current data relating to
specimens held in the
State Herbarium of South Australia

Biology: Resembles C. gymnocaulos.

Author: Not yet available


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