CYPERACEAE SEDGE FAMILY Plant: annual or more commonly perennial Stem: stem (solid) is termed a culm, simple, mostly erect, often angled (mostly triangular) but some round or angled; some with rhizomes or stolons Root: fibrous Leaves: mostly linear, alternate, parallel veins, often in 3 ranks (vertical rows), leaf sheath usually closed, leaf blade flat, folded, round or absent; a ligule is often present Flowers: small, 2-ranked or spiraled on a spike stalk in 1 or more spikelets in simple to complex inflorescences, each flower in axil of a scale, the inflorescence itself may be subtended by a leaf-like and sometimes showy bracts; perianth usually represented by 1-6 bristles, scales or are absent; perfect or imperfect (monoecious); 3 (1-6) stamens; 1 pistil, 1 style, ovary superior, 2-3 carpels, 1-chambered ovary Fruit: achene (lens-shaped to triangular in cross-section, achene enclosed in a sac perigynium in the Carex genus) Other: often occurring in bogs, swamps, or meadows along streams, but also in dry areas and forests; Monocotyledons Group Genera: 100+ genera; locally many genera WARNING family descriptions are only a layman s guide and should not be used as definitive 2 slides per species
CYPERACEAE CYPERUS GENUS (SPECIES A Z) Globe Flatsedge; Cyperus echinatus (L.) Alph. Wood Yellow Nutsedge; Cyperus esculentus L. Yellow Flat Sedge; Cyperus flavescens L. Ricefield Flatsedge; Cyperus iria L. (Introduced) Marsh Flat Sedge; Cyperus pseudovegetus Steud. Reflexed Flat-Sedge; Cyperus refractus Engelm. ex Boeckeler Strawcolored Flatsedge; Cyperus strigosus L.
Globe Flatsedge p1 Cyperus echinatus (L.) Alph. Wood Cyperaceae (Sedge Family) Wire Road Conservation Area, Stone County, Missouri Notes: tall (to 1 m+); culm triangular, smooth; roots fibrous with thick rhizomes; leaves flat to V shaped, up to 1 mm wide and 65 cm in length; inflorescence composed of 1 to 2 globose sessile spikes and 3 to 12 globose spikes on rays of various lengths, subtended by 4 to 7 bracts, spikes dense with up to 100+ (3 to 8 mm in length) spikelets; spikelets with 1 to 3 fertile florets, 3 stigmas and 3 stamens (see photos on p2); a common sedge found in many upland and disturbed habitats; summer to early fall USDA Leaves Bracts
Globe Flatsedge p2 Cyperus echinatus (L.) Alph. Spikelet with 3 fertile florets (varies from 1 to 3), note the 3 to 5 scales at base Globose spikes 1 to 2 sessile and 3 to 12 on rays subtended by bracts Spikelet with 2 florets, opened to expose achenes (3 stigmas) Achene 3-sided Spikes densely packed with up to 100+ spikelets Scales
USDA Yellow Nutsedge p1 Cyperus esculentus L. Cyperaceae (Sedge Family) Wire Road Conservation Area, Stone County, Missouri Notes: tall (to 1 m but usually less); culm triangular, smooth; roots fibrous with rhizomes (tubers present); leaves flat to somewhat V shaped, up to 1 cm wide and 60+ cm in length; inflorescence composed of compound umbels of up to 10 rays to 7 cm, subtended by 3 to 7+ bracts, spikes to 3 cm long with up to 50 spikelets (usually no more than 20); spikelets with many florets (up to 30+), 3 stigmas and 3 stamens; a sedge found in many moist habitats including disturbed areas; summer to early fall Some thin rhizomes with small tubers
Yellow Nutsedge p2 Cyperus esculentus L. Spikelet is 15 mm long, 18-20 florets in this sample (8-35+ florets possible) achene Inflorescence axis winged Scales at base Scales yellowbrown 3 styles 8-50 spikelets per spike
USDA Yellow Flat Sedge - p1 Cyperus flavescens L. Cyperaceae (Sedge Family) Lake Springfield, Greene County, Missouri Notes: plant annyual, short (to 35+ cm); culm triangular, smooth, no rhizomes; roots fibrous; leaves often V shaped, may be absent to 5 may be present, lower culm sheaths purplish; inflorescence of umbel-like spikes with 1 to 6+ rays; spikes to 1.8 cm, up to 40 or so florets; scales flattened see photos on p2 for description of scales and achenes; found in many moist habitats including margins of ponds and lakes and marshy areas; summer to fall [V Max Brown, 2015]
Yellow Flat Sedge p2 Cyperus flavescens L. Inflorescence 1 to 5 or so umbel-like spikes, simple or compound Scales 1.2 to 2.5 mm, strongly flattened and overlapping, pointed, edges almost translucent to yellowish, midrib green, 1 to 3 nerves Spikelets 1 to 6+ (clusters), up to 1.8 cm long, up to 40 or so florets, overlapping and strongly flattened Achenes to 1.2 mm, here about 1 mm tall, usually black to dark reddish- brown, obovate, with crosswrinkles and faint vertical lines or may be mostly smooth, 2 stigmas, 2 stamens stamens
Ricefield Flat Sedge p1 Cyperus iria L. (Introduced) Cyperaceae (Sedge Family) Near Heber Springs, Cleburne County, Arkansas Notes: medium height (to 60+ cm); culm triangular, smooth; roots fibrous with short rhizomes, perennial; leaves V shaped, up to 6+ mm wide and 40-60 cm in length; inflorescence composed spikes (sessile and 6 to 8 rays up to 10+ cm); spikes composed of flattened spikelets to 14 mm, each spikelet may contain 8 to 20+ florets, floral scales to 1.7 mm see photos on p2; inflorescence subtended by 3 to 7+ ascending bracts that are mostly longer than the umbel rays; crop fields and disturbed areas mostly; summer to fall Leaves Bracts
Ricefield Flat Sedge p2 Cyperus iria L. (Introduced) Achene is trigonal in cx and finely dimpled (puncticulate) on surface Mucro on floral scale Floral scale is 1.3 mm in this sample Floral scale is brownish with clear edges and green median, faint ribs observable This Spikelet is 7 mm long and 2 mm wide
Marsh Flat Sedge p1 Cyperus pseudovegetus Steud. Cyperaceae (Sedge Family) Near Heber Springs, Cleburne County, Arkansas Notes: tall (to 80+ cm); culm triangular, smooth; roots fibrous with short rhizomes, perennial; leaves V shaped, up to 7+ mm wide and 60 cm in length; inflorescence composed spikes (sessile and on 6 to 10 rays), may be single or clusters of spikes; spikes composed of flattened spikelets in compact heads; each spikelet may contain 10 to 16+ floral scales with achenes see photos on p2; inflorescence subtended by 4 to 8+ bracts that are mostly longer than the umbel rays; found in many habitats but usually likes damp areas; summer to fall ~ 10 mm
Marsh Flat Sedge p2 Cyperus pseudovegetus Steud. Mature achene, here about 1.4 mm Inflorescence of clustered spikes (some sessile, others on rays of umbel) composed of flattened layers of spikelets, vary from 7 to 15+ mm or larger Flattened floral scale (2 keeled at base) with achene inside, 1 stamen Clustered Spikes somewhat crushed ~ 2.0 mm in this sample Achene 3-sided and dimpled, 3 styles spikelet
Reflexed Flat Sedge p1 Cyperus refractus Engelm. ex Boeckeler Cyperaceae (Sedge Family) Below Dam at Greers Ferry Lake, Cleburne County, Arkansas Notes: perennial, tall plant (to 1+ m but often less); culm strongly USDA triangular, smooth, bases corm-like, rhizomes; roots fibrous; leaves to 10 mm wide, variously shaped, up to 70 cm long; inflorescence composed of umbels, sessile and up to 10 rays, spikes up to 6 cm in length, ellipsoid subtended by 3 to 6 bracts; spikelets with 3-10 florets, 3 stigmas (see photos on p2 for most details); river banks, gravel bars, lowland forests, prairies, etc.; summer to fall [V Max Brown, 2015] Leaves
Reflexed Flat Sedge p2 Cyperus refractus Engelm. ex Boeckeler [V Max Brown, 2015] Inflorescence of ellipsoid spikes up to 6 cm, rachis visible Scales here 5+ mm (varies from 3-6 mm), little overlap of scales on same side of spikelet, spikelet mostly terete Achene here 3 mm (varies from 2.5 to 3+ mm), yellowish brown to purplish, trigonous in CX, elongate and finely pebbled, 3 styles Spikelets linear, 13 to 20+ mm, mostly terete in CX Winged rachis
Strawcolored Flat Sedge p1 Cyperus strigosus L. Cyperaceae (Sedge Family) Near Heber Springs, Cleburne county, Arkansas Notes: perennial, tall plant (to 1+ m but often less); culm strongly triangular, smooth, bases swollen; rhizomes or not; roots fibrous; leaves to 8-10 mm wide, variously shaped; USDA inflorescence composed of umbels, sessile and up to 10 rays (may branch), spikes up to 3 cm in length, ellipsoid; spikelets with 3-11 florets, 3 stigmas (see photos on p2 for more details); river banks, gravel bars, lowland forests, ditches, many other damp habitats; summer to fall (this is a common and highly variable species) [V Max Brown, 2015]
Strawcolored Flat Sedge p2 Cyperus strigosus L [V Max Brown, 2015] Inflorescence compound umbels, 1+ sessile and 3 to 11+ rays with spikes (some rays may be compound or not) Mature spikelet and achene 4 mm Spikelets here about 10 mm in length (varies from small to large (3-4 to 30 mm), flattened, 3 to 11 scales which vary from 3 to 5 mm in length, ribbed Achene 3 styles, 1.5 to 2.5 mm, narrowly oblong, 3-angled or not, pebbled surface (achene here immature, usually reddish)