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Fimbristylis aestivalis

(Retz.) Vahl (1805)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Monocots Order: Poales Family: Cyperaceae Genus: Fimbristylis

Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Small annuals.

Stems: Culms tufted, 3–12 cm tall, 0.3–0.5 mm in diameter.

Roots: Fibrous root system.

Leaves: Leaves simple. Blades linear–filiform, much shorter than the culm, 0.4–1 mm wide. Apex gradually acuminate. Surfaces glabrate to sparsely pilose. Margins entire. Sheathing; sheaths pale to yellowish brown, 5–15 mm long, usually pubescent; ligule absent. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in inflorescences compound, lax, 2–4 cm long and wide, rays 3–7, filiform, 0.5–2.7 cm long, each one terminated by a single spikelet; involucral bracts 2–3, shorter than inflorescence, pilose or glabrate; spikelets 8–15–flowered, ovoid to narrowly ovoid, 2.5–5 mm long, 1–1.5 mm wide, subacute; glumes yellowish brown, membranous, ovate, 1–1.2 mm long, the keel green, apex mucronulate. Flowers bisexual (perfect). Corolla (petals) absent. Stamen 1. Ovary superior; styles filiform, glabrous at base, occasionally ciliolate below stigmas; stigmas 2.

Fruit: Achenes yellow; obovoid; biconvex; 0.6–0.7 mm long; faintly cancellate; apex rounded; base short–stipitate. Seeds 1; seed coat thin; free from pericarp; embryo basal; endosperm abundant.

Ploidy: 2n = 10

Habitat: Naturalized in ponds and taro fields.

Elevation Range: ca. 3 m.

Historical Distribution

Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kaua'i Naturalized
O'ahu Potentially naturalizing
Hawai'i Naturalized

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: Enum. Pl. Obs. 2: 288 (1805)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:1404 (K); Oppenheimer & Bartlett 2002:7 (H); Faccenda 2023b:79 (O)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Fimbristylis aestivalis Hanalei Common along edges of taro paddies. Preserved_Specimen Herbst, D.R. 6250 Kauai BISH 1978-09-12
2 Fimbristylis aestivalis Koloa Dist.; Waita Reservoir, west side Mud flats; with Fimbristylis dichotoma & Dopatrium sp. Preserved_Specimen Herb forming large monospecific patches; lvs medium green; inflor. pale whitish to yellowish-green. Flynn, T.W. 4268 Kauai BISH 1990-10-23
3 Fimbristylis aestivalis Honolulu, Lili'uokalani Botanical Garden. Nu'uanu Stream bed Partly sunny, moist, gravel substrate Preserved_Specimen Only one individual seen Faccenda, K. 1983 Oahu BISH 2021-06-12
4 Fimbristylis aestivalis Lawai Valley; PTBG Growing in the bottom of drained pond area. Preserved_Specimen Flynn, T.W. 641 Kauai BISH 1983-11-07
5 Fimbristylis aestivalis Koloa Dist.; Waita Reservoir, below Koloa & Poipu Along dirt road in sugar cane fields. Preserved_Specimen Wagner, W.L. 6026 Kauai BISH 1988-04-08
6 Fimbristylis aestivalis S Hilo District, Waiakea Roadside. Preserved_Specimen Weed. Oppenheimer, H.L. 40020 Hawaii BISH 2000-04-21
7 Fimbristylis aestivalis Hilo In waste area. Preserved_Specimen Oppenheimer, H.L. 40509 Hawaii BISH 2005-04-26
8 Fimbristylis aestivalis Hanalei Valley; U. S. Fish & Wildlife Reservation In & around taro patches. Preserved_Specimen Herbst, D.R. 5953 Kauai BISH 1977-07-18
9 Fimbristylis aestivalis Hanalei Common along edges of taro paddies. Preserved_Specimen Herbst, D.R. 6250 Kauai BISH 1978-09-12
10 Fimbristylis aestivalis Waita Reservoir, Koloa Preserved_Specimen Herbst, D.R. 6102 Kauai BISH 1978-05-12
11 Fimbristylis aestivalis Volcano, Amaumau Rd Shady, wet roadside Preserved_Specimen Rare in mowed area Faccenda, K. 2628 Hawaii BISH 2022-08-13
12 Fimbristylis aestivalis Hilo, Hawaii Growing in the wet lawn of Joan Yoshioka residence, cinder soil. Preserved_Specimen Clumping spikey sedge, many branches, and spikelets. Imada, C. 2005231 Hawaii BISH 2005-11-13
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