Cyperus congestus Vahl APNI* Synonyms: Mariscus congestus (Vahl) C.B.Clarke APNI*
Description: Tufted perennial with very short thick rhizome, often apparently annual. Culms triquetrous, smooth, slightly swollen at base, mostly 20–60 cm high, 1–3 mm diam.
Leaves not septate-nodulose, shorter or longer than culms, 2–6 mm broad.
Inflorescence simple or compound with 2–7 branches to 10 cm, or head-like; spikes dense, broad-cylindrical to hemispherical, 1–5 cm diam.; involucral bracts leaf-like, 2 or 3 longer than inflorescence. Spikelets flattened, numerous per spike, 10–28 mm long, 1–2 mm wide in side view, 8–24-flowered; rachilla winged, persistent. Glumes acute, with sides 3- or 4-nerved, c. 4 mm long, red-brown. Stamens 3. Style 3-fid.
Nut trigonous, narrow-obovoid, about half as long as glume, c. 1.5 mm long, c. 0.6 mm diam., dark brown to black.
Flowering: spring–summer.
Distribution and occurrence: Introduced; Northern Tablelands (around Glen Innes, Gibraltar Range, Inverell, Guyra, Walcha); also from Stockton Beach south along the coast to Berrima and Brogo; now in Canberra, too. Native of South Africa. A weed of roadsides and damp ground.
NSW subdivisions: *CC, *SC, *NT, *CT, *ST, *NWS
Other Australian states: *Vic. *Tas. *W.A. *S.A.
Text by K. L. Wilson (1993); edited KL Wilson (Aug 2007, Jan 2010, Nov 2012)
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 4 (1993)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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