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Fimbristylis cymosa

R.Br. (1810)

This name is accepted

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

button sedge, mau‘u ‘aki‘aki (ni‘ihau), mauu akiaki

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Perennials with short rhizomes.

Stems: Culms densely tufted, stiffly erect, obtusely trigonous, 5–60 cm tall, 1–2 mm in diameter.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. alternate Blades subcoriaceous, linear, much shorter than culms, 1–4 mm wide, spreading to recurved, flat or margins weakly recurved. Apex abruptly contracted and obtuse. Margins entire. Sheathing; sheaths persistent, thickly clothing the culm bases, ventrally membranous, dorsally eventually becoming dusky brown to dark brown; ligule absent. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in simple or compound inflorescences, up to 4 cm long and 7 cm wide, or condensed, headlike, and 0.7–2 cm in diameter; involucral bracts 1–3, usually shorter than inflorescence; spikelets solitary to clustered, rusty brown or somewhat grayish brown, oblong– ellipsoid to oblong–ovoid, 3–6 mm long, 1.5–2.5 mm wide, apex obtuse; glumes rusty brown, margins broadly white–hyaline, membranous, ovate to broadly ovate, 1–1.3 mm long, obtuse, 3– nerved or 5–nerved. Flowers bisexual (perfect). Corolla (petals) absent. Stamens 3. Ovary superior; styles scarcely flattened, ca. 1 mm long, glabrous, not fimbriate; stigmas 2–3.

Fruit: Achenes dark brown to grayish brown; nearly smooth; broadly obovoid; trigonous to somewhat biconvex; 0.7–1 mm long. Seeds 1; seed coat thin; free from pericarp; embryo basal; endosperm abundant.

Ploidy: 2n = 10; 28*; 40; 48*

Habitat: Coastal areas.

Elevation Range: 0–60 m.

Historical Distribution

Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Indigenous

Island Status

Mokupāpapa (Kure atoll) Indigenous or Naturalized
Ni'ihau(Incl. Lehua) Indigenous
Kuaihelani (Midway Atoll) Indigenous
Kaua'i Indigenous
O'ahu Indigenous
Molokai Indigenous
Kamole(Laysan Island) Indigenous or Naturalized
Lana'i Indigenous
Lalo (French Frigate Shoals) Indigenous
Maui Indigenous
Hawai'i Indigenous

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: Prodr. Fl. Nov. Holland.: 228 (1810)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Fimbristylis cymosa Mokupipi, Maui Preserved_Specimen Common. Scattered about, especially on the lower portion of the islet. Starr, F. 504052 Maui BISH 2005-04-05
2 Fimbristylis cymosa W Maui, Launiupoko, Puu Mahanaluanui Growing on summit of Puu in chalky Trachyte soil. Preserved_Specimen Hobdy, R.W. 3540 Maui BISH 1993-03-04
3 Fimbristylis cymosa only along the runway in the middle section Preserved_Specimen Corn, C. Kure Atoll BISH 1979-01-03
4 Fimbristylis cymosa Makahoa Point, near Kahuku In sand overlying raised limestone reef platform. Preserved_Specimen Corn, C. Oahu BISH 1978-05-09
5 Fimbristylis cymosa Coastal W/Ipomoea pes-caperae, Eragrostis varabilis, Scaevola taccada Preserved_Specimen Small bunching sedge, normal vigor, fertile, seeding Watson, J.C. 19 Laysan Island BISH 2014-09-26
6 Fimbristylis cymosa Dry, hard packed cobble area. Preserved_Specimen Native. Al-Bayer, S. Kure Atoll BISH 2019-01-19
7 Fimbristylis cymosa Koloa District. Mahaulepu, south of quarry and horse stables. Scaevola taccada - Fimbristylis cymosa coastal shrubland on raised limestone w/ Sida fallax, Euphorbia degeneri, Capparis sandwichiana, Jacquemontia ovalifolia subsp. sandwicensis, Lycium sandwichense, Boerhavia repens, Osteomeles anthyllidifolia, Sesuvium portulacastrum. Preserved_Specimen Sedge, terrestrial, very common on limestone shelves, in flower and fruit, both subsp. F. C. subsp. umbellato-capitata and F.c. subsp. spathacea sympatric. Wood, K.R. 18675 Kauai BISH 2021-05-06
8 Fimbristylis cymosa Mokuauia Island, near Laie On an offshore island. Preserved_Specimen Corn, C. Oahu BISH 1977-11-12
9 Fimbristylis cymosa Mokolii A few patches on E side. Preserved_Specimen Starr, F. 5041961 Oahu BISH 2005-04-19
10 Fimbristylis cymosa Moomomi Preserve Sand dunes. Preserved_Specimen Perennial herb in clumps. Annable, C.R. 3801 Molokai BISH 1998-02-08
11 Fimbristylis cymosa east Maui, Hana District, Hana, Nanualele, north side of Hana Bay. Growing on rocks in Scaevola Coastal Shrubland. Preserved_Specimen Oppenheimer, H.L. 71803 Maui BISH 2018-07-16
12 Fimbristylis cymosa Hana District, Hana, Nanualele, north side of Hana Bay Growing on rocks in Scaevola Coastal Shrubland. Preserved_Specimen Oppenheimer, H.L. 71802 Maui BISH 2018-07-16
13 Fimbristylis cymosa Ala Wai Park, near W end of park, trail along canal In turf grass along canal Preserved_Specimen Several small plants growing as a weed in grass Faccenda, K. 1789 Oahu BISH 2021-05-08
14 Fimbristylis cymosa Kaohikaipu, Oahu in open areas near coast Preserved_Specimen Occasional. A few patches in open areas near coast. Starr, F. 502248 Oahu BISH 2005-02-24
15 Fimbristylis cymosa Umikoa Ranch, Hamakua c.1 acre stock pond, montane wet pasture, some koa. Preserved_Specimen As specimen Uyehara, K.J. 99092702 Hawaii BISH 1999-09-27
16 Fimbristylis cymosa Maui Coastal Land Trust, Wailuku, Maui, Hawaii Growing up on sand dunes, north end, at back of refuge. Preserved_Specimen Clumping, stiff sedge, with head inflorescences. Crago, L.M. 2005183 Maui BISH 2005-08-10
17 Fimbristylis cymosa Honaunau; City of Refuge In pahoehoe cracks. Preserved_Specimen Chock, A.K. 2028 Hawaii BISH 1962-06-23
18 Fimbristylis cymosa Moku Mana, N coast, off Pauwalu Point, Keanae, between N and S plateau black basalt; Scaevola sericea, Sesuvium portulacastrum, Bidens hillebrandiana, Fimbristylus cymosa, Carex wahuensis, Digitaria setigera, Cyperus phleoides, Osteomeles anthyllidifolia, Potulaca lutea, Solanum americanum Preserved_Specimen sedge; leaves dark green Wood, K.R. 11210 Maui BISH 2005-04-06
19 Fimbristylis cymosa W Maui, Launiupoko, Puu Mahanaluanui Growing on summit of Puu in chalky Trachyte soil. Preserved_Specimen Hobdy, R.W. 3542 Maui BISH 1993-03-04
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