Annual sedge | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Clade: | Commelinids |
Order: | Poales |
Family: | Cyperaceae |
Genus: | Cyperus |
Species: | C. compressus |
Binomial name | |
Cyperus compressus | |
Cyperus compressus, commonly known as annual sedge, is a sedge of the family Cyperaceae that has a wide distribution throughout countries with warmer climates. It is found in tropical areas of Africa, Asia and the Americas. [2]
In Europe it is commonly known as hedgehog sedge and the French know it as souchet comprimé. In India it is called mothi and in Japan it is known as kugugayatsuri. [2]
The annual sedge typically grows to a height of 0.1 to 0.75 metres (0.3 to 2.5 ft) and has a tufted habit. It blooms between May and December and produces green-yellow-brown flowers. [3] The erect and glabrous grass has fine and numerous roots. It as slender or rigidulous, trigonous stems that are 0.5 to 2.0 millimetres (0.020 to 0.079 in) thick. Red-purple, loose, open leaf sheaths cover the base of the plant with the leaves being much sorter than the stems. The leaves are greyish-green in colour with a narrowly linear shape and a width of 1.5 to 4.0 mm (0.06 to 0.16 in). The inflorescence is composed of umbellate spikes, with three to four rays hat are up to 8 centimetres (3 in) in length. [2] Following flowering it will form a dark brown to black trigonous nut that has a broad-obovoid shape. The nut is about 1.5 mm (0.059 in) in length with a diameter of about 1 mm (0.039 in). [4]
The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753 as a part of the work Species Plantarum . It has 11 synonyms including Cyperus afer, Cyperus brachiatus, Cyperus giraudyi , Cyperus meyenii and Cyperus pectiniformis. [5]
It has a wide distribution throughout tropical and sub tropical parts of Asia, especially in India, Malaysia, Pakistan and the Philippines. It is found through much of Africa from Egypt to Zimbabwe. In the Americas it is found in the southern USA, Honduras, Costa Rica and Suriname as well as northern parts of South America. It is also found in Fiji and New Guinea. [5] It is a pantropical species, mostly found in moist places such as irrigated fields, ditches, stream beds, pond margins and lawns. It grows in many soil types usually sandy or alluvial and clay soils. [2]
It has become introduced in many areas, in Western Australia it is found in damp areas in the Kimberley region. [3] It is also found in Queensland, New South Wales and the Northern Territory. [4]
Cyperus papyrus, better known by the common names papyrus, papyrus sedge, paper reed, Indian matting plant, or Nile grass, is a species of aquatic flowering plant belonging to the sedge family Cyperaceae. It is a tender herbaceous perennial, native to Africa, and forms tall stands of reed-like swamp vegetation in shallow water.
Cyperus esculentus is a species of plant in the sedge family widespread across much of the world. It is found in most of the Eastern Hemisphere, including Southern Europe, Africa and Madagascar, as well as the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent. C. esculentus is cultivated for its edible tubers, called earth almonds or tiger nuts, as a snack food and for the preparation of horchata de chufa, a sweet, milk-like beverage.
Cyperus rotundus is a species of sedge (Cyperaceae) native to Africa, southern and central Europe, and southern Asia. The word cyperus derives from the Greek κύπερος, kyperos, and rotundus is from Latin, meaning "round". The earliest attested form of the word cyperus is the Mycenaean Greek 𐀓𐀞𐀫, ku-pa-ro, written in Linear B syllabic script.
Cyperus bulbosus is a species of sedge found across Africa, the Middle East, Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and Australia. In Australia, it is commonly called Nalgoo or (Australian) bush onion or "wild onion", but is not related to the onion or other Alliaceae. It is a component of Australian bushfood, but is considered an agricultural weed in other areas.
Cyperus polystachyos, also known as Pycreus polystachyos, and also called manyspike flatsedge in the US, or bunchy sedge, coast flatsedge, many-spiked sedge or Texas sedge in Australia, is a herbaceous species in the family Cyperaceae, widespread in tropical and subtropical areas around the world, sometimes extending its range into temperate regions.
Cyperus alterniflorus is a sedge of the family Cyperaceae that is native to Australia.
Cyperus congestus, commonly known as dense flat-sedge or clustered flat-sedge, is a sedge of the family Cyperaceae that is native to southern Africa mostly in South Africa, Lesotho and Namibia.
Cyperus cuspidatus, commonly known as the coastal plain flatsedge, is a sedge of the family Cyperaceae that is native to seasonally dry tropical areas of Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia.
Cyperus dactylotes is a sedge of the family Cyperaceae that is native to all of mainland Australia except for Victoria.
Cyperus digitatus, also known as finger flatsedge in the United States, and chang xiao sui suo cao in China, is a sedge of the family Cyperaceae that is native to tropical and subtropical areas of Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia.
Cyperus gilesii, commonly known as Giles' flat-sedge, is a sedge of the Cyperaceae that is native to Australia.
Cyperus hamulosus is a sedge of the family Cyperaceae. It is native from Bulgaria east to Mongolia, and from Morocco in north Africa down to Namibia in the south. It has also been introduced to western parts of Australia.
Cyperus rigidellus is a sedge of the family Cyperaceae that is native to Australia.
Cyperus vaginatus, commonly known as stiff-leaf sedge or stiff flat-sedge, is a sedge of the family Cyperaceae that is native to Australia.
Cyperus victoriensis, also known as channel nut grass is a sedge of the family Cyperaceae that is native to all the states and territories of mainland Australia.
Cyperus vorsteri is a sedge of the family Cyperaceae native to KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa.
Cyperus zollingeri, commonly known as roadside flatsedge, is a sedge of the family Cyperaceae that is native to tropical areas of Australia, Africa and Asia.
Cyperus afroalpinus is a species of sedge that is native to Africa and was described by the botanist Kåre Arnstein Lye in 1983.
Cyperus holstii is a species of sedge that is native to central Africa, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Kenya.
Cyperus hemisphaericus is a species of sedge that is endemic to eastern parts of Africa.