Cyperus polystachyos var. polystachyos

This name is accepted

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

pycreus

Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Slender annuals or in favorable conditions apparently becoming short-lived perennials, tufted.

Stems: Culms stiffly erect, (2–)20–50 cm tall, trigonous, smooth, in favorable conditions developing a short rhizome.

Roots: Fibrous root system.

Leaves: Leaves simple. Leaves few, basal. Blades linear, much shorter than or longer than the culm, 1.5–3 mm wide, blades weakly plicate, subrigid. Apex acute. Margins entire. Sheathing; sheaths reddish brown. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in inflorescences open, forming a simple or partially compound umbelliform corymb, with 2–7 rays 2–6 cm long, or contracted into a head-like cluster 2–5 cm in diameter, occasionally developing 2–5 short rays up to 5 cm long; involucral bracts 3–5, spreading, usually the lower 2–3 surpassing the inflorescence, the longest one up to 30 cm long; spikelets yellowish brown to pale or dark reddish brown, numerous, crowded, 8–40–flowered, digitately disposed, linear-lanceolate, strongly flattened, 5–25 mm long, 1–1.5(–2) mm wide, apex acute, rachilla flexuous, not winged; glumes reddish brown, thin, chartaceous, oblong–ovate to lanceolate–ovate, 1.5–1.8 mm long, the keel 3–nerved, acute, margins narrowly pale and membranous. Flowers bisexual (perfect). Corolla (petals) absent. Ovary superior; styles slender, twice as long as achene; stigmas 2.

Fruit: Achenes dark brown; oblong–obovate; laterally flattened; ca. 1 mm long; the sides minutely puncticulate. Seeds 1; seed coat thin; free from pericarp; embryo basal; endosperm abundant.

Ploidy: 2n = 96; 98

Habitat: Common on open or grassy; often disturbed areas; from mesic coastal sites to mesic and wet forest.

Elevation Range: 0–1,420 m.

Historical Distribution

Synonyms (47)

Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Indigenous

Island Status

Mokupāpapa (Kure atoll) Indigenous
Ni'ihau(Incl. Lehua) Indigenous
Kuaihelani (Midway Atoll) Indigenous
Kaua'i Indigenous
O'ahu Indigenous
Molokai Indigenous
Lana'i Indigenous
Maui Indigenous
Hawai'i Indigenous

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Bibliography

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:1425 (Mi, Ni, O, Mo, L, M, H [as Pycreus polystachyos subsp. holosericeus], K, O, Mo, M, H [as subsp. polystachyos]); Tucker 1994:72/Herbst & Wagner 1999:20/Wagner & Herbst 1999:1901 (NOM:Syn. P. polystachyos subspp. holocericeus & polystachyos); Wood & LeGrande 2006:23 (Le)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Scientific Name Authorship Locality Habitat Basis of Record Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date