Cyperus laevigatus L. APNI* Synonyms: Cyperus distachyos All. APNI*
Description: Perennial with long thick rhizome. Culms tufted or distant, terete or trigonous, smooth, 10–60 cm high, to 2.5 mm diam.
Leaves reduced to sheaths or the uppermost often with blade to 10 cm long. Inflorescence of 1–16 or more spikelets in a sessile, pseudolateral cluster to 3 cm diam.; lowest involucral bract erect, culm-like, longer than inflorescence. Spikelets slightly flattened, often curved or twisted, 4–20 mm long, 1.5–4 mm wide in side view, 10–44-flowered; rachilla thick, not winged, persistent. Glumes obtuse, with midrib irregularly several-nerved, 2–4 mm long, yellowish or whitish, tinged dark red-brown. Stamens 3. Style 2-fid.
Nut plano- or concavo-convex, obovoid to ovoid, half to two-thirds as long as glume, the broad inner face nearest rachilla, 1.5–2 mm long, 0.8–1.2 mm diam., dark yellow-brown.
Flowering: spring–summer.
Distribution and occurrence: Grows in brackish situations, near seashores and saltmarshes, inland in soakage from artesian bores; coastal districts and scattered inland, west from Bourke.
NSW subdivisions: NC, CC, SC, NWP, NFWP
Other Australian states: Qld W.A. S.A. N.T.
There are three forms: one coarser coastal form and two slender inland forms, differing in flower, nut and spikelet characters. Study worldwide is needed to decide their status.
Text by K. L. Wilson (1993); edited KL Wilson (Aug 2009)
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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