Cyperus flaccidus

Cyperus flaccidus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Clade:	Commelinids
Order:	Poales
Family:	Cyperaceae
Genus:	Cyperus
Species:	C. flaccidus
Binomial name
	Cyperus flaccidus; R.Br.

Last updated June 22, 2019

Cyperus flaccidus is a sedge of the family Cyperaceae that is native to Australia.^[1]

The Cyperaceae are a family of graminoid (grass-like), monocotyledonous flowering plants known as sedges, which superficially resemble the closely related rushes and the more distantly related grasses. The family is large, with some 5,500 known species described in about 90 genera, the largest being the "true sedges" genus Carex with over 2,000 species. These species are widely distributed, with the centers of diversity for the group occurring in tropical Asia and tropical South America. While sedges may be found growing in almost all environments, many are associated with wetlands, or with poor soils. Ecological communities dominated by sedges are known as sedgelands.

Description

The annual grass like sedge typically grows to a height of 0.1 to 0.2 metres (0.33 to 0.66 ft). It blooms between May and April producing green flowers.^[2]

The leaves are 1 to 2 mm (0.039 to 0.079 in) wide, and are often reduced to sheaths and much shorter than the culms. The simple head-like inflorescences have between three and seven branches and are around 8 cm (3.1 in) in length. The digitate clusters to have a diameter of around 15 mm (0.59 in) with leaf-like bracts the lowest of which is erect and looks like a continuation of the culm and has alength exceeding that of the inflorescence. There are two to eight flattened spikelets cluster containing 20 flowers. After flowering a broad ovoid shaped brown nut will form that is 0.5 mm (0.020 in) in length with a diameter of about 0.3 mm (0.012 in).^[3]

A culm is the aerial (above-ground) stem of a grass or sedge. It is derived from culmus, the Latin word for "stalk", and it originally referred to the stem of any type of plant.

An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed. The modifications can involve the length and the nature of the internodes and the phyllotaxis, as well as variations in the proportions, compressions, swellings, adnations, connations and reduction of main and secondary axes. Inflorescence can also be defined as the reproductive portion of a plant that bears a cluster of flowers in a specific pattern.

Taxonomy

The species was first formally described by the botanist Robert Brown in 1810 as part of the work Prodromus florae Novae Hollandiae et insulae Van-Diemen, exhibens characteres plantarum quas annis 1802-1805. The two known synonyms are; Cyperus trinervis var. flaccidus and Cyperus macellus.^[4]

Robert Brown FRSE FRS FLS MWS was a Scottish botanist and palaeobotanist who made important contributions to botany largely through his pioneering use of the microscope. His contributions include one of the earliest detailed descriptions of the cell nucleus and cytoplasmic streaming; the observation of Brownian motion; early work on plant pollination and fertilisation, including being the first to recognise the fundamental difference between gymnosperms and angiosperms; and some of the earliest studies in palynology. He also made numerous contributions to plant taxonomy, notably erecting a number of plant families that are still accepted today; and numerous Australian plant genera and species, the fruit of his exploration of that continent with Matthew Flinders.

Distribution

It is endemic in the eastern states of Australia where it has a scattered distribution throughout eastern Queensland and New South Wales, western Victoria and eastern South Australia. It has small isolated populations in the Northern Territory ^[4]^[3] and the Kimberley region of Western Australia. It is mostly situated in creek beds and other damp areas.^[1]

Endemism is the ecological state of a species being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation, country or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. The extreme opposite of endemism is cosmopolitan distribution. An alternative term for a species that is endemic is precinctive, which applies to species that are restricted to a defined geographical area.

Queensland is the second-largest and third-most populous state in the Commonwealth of Australia. Situated in the north-east of the country, it is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean. To its north is the Torres Strait, with Papua New Guinea located less than 200 km across it from the mainland. The state is the world's sixth-largest sub-national entity, with an area of 1,852,642 square kilometres (715,309 sq mi).

New South Wales is a state on the east coast of Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria to the south, and South Australia to the west. Its coast borders the Tasman Sea to the east. The Australian Capital Territory is an enclave within the state. New South Wales' state capital is Sydney, which is also Australia's most populous city. In September 2018, the population of New South Wales was over 8 million, making it Australia's most populous state. Just under two-thirds of the state's population, 5.1 million, live in the Greater Sydney area. Inhabitants of New South Wales are referred to as New South Welshmen.

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<i>Cyperus polystachyos</i> species of plant

Cyperus polystachyos, also known as Pycreus polystachyos and commonly known as bunchy sedge, many-spiked sedge, or Texas sedge, is a herbaceous species in the family Cyperaceae, widespread in tropical and subtropical areas around the world, sometimes extending its range into temperate regions. In the United States, it has been reported from a region from Texas to Maine.

Lepidosperma laterale, commonly known as the variable swordsedge, is a plant found in south-eastern Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand. It is often found on sandy soils or rocky areas in wooded areas.

Machaerina juncea, commonly known as bare twig-rush or tussock swamp twig rush, is a sedge in the sedge family, Cyperaceae, that is native to Australia, New Zealand, and New Caledonia.

Machaerina rubiginosa, commonly known as soft twig rush, flat leaf twig rush or common twig rush, is a flowering plant in the sedge family, Cyperaceae, that is native to Asia and the Pacific.

Carex pumila, commonly known as strand sedge or spreading sedge, is a species of sedge of the family Cyperaceae.

Chorizandra cymbaria, commonly known as heron bristle rush or heron bristle sedge, is a sedge of the family Cyperaceae that is native to Australia.

Cyperus alterniflorus, commonly known as umbrella flat-sedge, is a sedge of the family Cyperaceae that is native to Australia.

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.

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 gilesii, commonly known as Giles' flat-sedge, is a sedge of the Cyperaceae that is native to Australia.

Cyperus gymnocaulos, commonly known as spiny flatsedge, is a sedge of the family Cyperaceae that is native to Australia.

Cyperus javanicus, also known as the Javanese flatsedge, is a sedge of the family Cyperaceae that is native to Indonesia and Australia.

Cyperus nutans is a sedge of the family Cyperaceae that is native to 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 Australia.

Cyperus vorsteri is a sedge of the family Cyperaceae native to southern 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.

Eleocharis acuta, commonly known as common spikerush or small spikerush, is a sedge of the family Cyperaceae that is native to Australia.

Aristida calycina, commonly known as dark wiregrass, is a species of grass in the family Poaceae that is native in Australia.

References

1 2 "Cyperus flaccidus". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
↑ Les Robinson (1991). Field Guide to the Native Plants of Sydney (illustrated ed.). Kangaroo Press. ISBN 9780864171924.
1 2 "Cyperus flaccidus R.Br". PlantNet. Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
1 2 "Cyperus flaccidus R.Br". Atlas of Living Australia. Global Biodiversity Information Facility . Retrieved 13 November 2018.

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[FloraBase-1] 1 2 "Cyperus flaccidus". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.

[2] Les Robinson (1991). Field Guide to the Native Plants of Sydney (illustrated ed.). Kangaroo Press. ISBN 9780864171924.

[nsw-3] 1 2 "Cyperus flaccidus R.Br". PlantNet. Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney. Retrieved 13 November 2018.

[atlas-4] 1 2 "Cyperus flaccidus R.Br". Atlas of Living Australia. Global Biodiversity Information Facility . Retrieved 13 November 2018.