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Cyperus trachysanthos

Hook. & Arn. (1832)

This name is accepted

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

ka‘a (Ni‘ihau via St. John), pu‘uka‘a (Ni‘ihau), pu‘uka‘a [puukaa]

Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Perennials, rhizomes short.

Stems: culms densely tufted, obtusely trigonous, 20–45 cm tall, 1.5–2.5 mm in diameter, viscous.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. 3-ranked. blades linear, longer than the culm, 2.5–3.5 mm wide, septate–nodose, channeled. Apex gradually narrowed and long-acuminate. Surfaces green, glaucous, subcoriaceous. Margins remotely toothed. Veins parallel. Sheathing; sheaths yellowish brown, the hyaline ventral side reddish brown. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in corymbs simple, 5–9 cm long, 6–12 cm wide, rays 1–5, 4–9 cm long, each one bearing 2–6 heads of spikelets 1.5– 2.5 cm in diameter; involucral bracts 3–5, surpassing the corymb; spikelets 10–30 per head, 8–20–flowered, pale yellowish brown, lanceolate–ovate, flattened, 8–12 mm long, 3–5 mm wide, rachilla winged; glumes pale yellowish brown to pale reddish brown, chartaceous, broadly ovate, 3–3.5 mm long, ca. 2 mm wide, acute, the keel broad, green, glaucous, prolonged into a recurved mucro; style slender, longer than achene. Flowers bisexual (perfect). Corolla (petals) absent. Ovary superior; stigmas 3.

Fruit: Achenes dark brown; obovoid to narrowly obovoid; trigonous; ca. 1.5 mm long; puncticulate; apex acute. Seeds 1; seed coat thin; free from pericarp; embryo basal; endosperm abundant.

Ploidy:

Habitat: Occurring in wet sites such as margins of ponds and wet slopes.

Elevation Range: 3–160 m.

Historical Distribution

Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Endemic

Island Status

Ni'ihau(Incl. Lehua) Endemic
Kaua'i Endemic
O'ahu Endemic
Molokai Endemic
Lana'i Endemic

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: Bot. Beechey Voy.: 99 (1832)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:1399 (Ni, K, O, Mo, L); Matt Keir pers. comm. 2025/Christensen 136 BISH (Ni†, 1977); Hank Oppenheimer pers. obs./Rock 8712 BISH (Mo†, 1910); Hank Oppenheimer pers. obs./Munro 677 BISH (L†, 1919)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Cyperus trachysanthos Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen St.John, H. 10539 Oahu BISH 1930-05-10
2 Cyperus trachysanthos Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Munro, G.C. 501 Lanai BISH 1919-01-22
3 Cyperus trachysanthos Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Rosa, J. Oahu BISH 1937-06-09
4 Cyperus trachysanthos Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 8307 Oahu BISH 1931-01-01
5 Cyperus trachysanthos Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Rock, J.F.C. 8712 Molokai BISH 1910-04-01
6 Cyperus trachysanthos Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 707 Kauai BISH 1916-10-31
7 Cyperus trachysanthos Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Christensen, C. 136 Niihau BISH 1977-02-12
8 Cyperus trachysanthos Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Munro, G.C. 677 Lanai BISH 1919-01-22
9 Cyperus trachysanthos Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Munro, G.C. 677 Lanai BISH 1919-01-22
10 Cyperus trachysanthos Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 707 Kauai BISH 1916-10-31
11 Cyperus trachysanthos Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 1758 Oahu BISH 1912-02-16
12 Cyperus trachysanthos Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Whitney, L.D. 4038 Oahu BISH 1936-01-26
13 Cyperus trachysanthos Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Open grassy marsh 1/4 mi from sea. Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 3523 Oahu BISH 1929-01-27
14 Cyperus trachysanthos Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Lay, G.T. Oahu BISH 1826-01-01
15 Cyperus trachysanthos Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Bryan, W.A. Oahu BISH 1903-12-02
16 Cyperus trachysanthos Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Stokes, J.F.G. Niihau BISH 1912-01-01
17 Cyperus trachysanthos Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 2331 Oahu BISH 1916-03-14
18 Cyperus trachysanthos Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 2359 Oahu BISH 1916-03-26
19 Cyperus trachysanthos Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Rock, J.F.C. 8712 Molokai BISH 1910-04-01
20 Cyperus trachysanthos Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Rosa, J. Oahu BISH 1937-06-09
21 Cyperus trachysanthos Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Christophersen, E. 1440 Oahu BISH 1931-01-22
22 Cyperus trachysanthos Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Growing in wet clay soil. Preserved_Specimen Plants 1 to 2 ft tall. Pearsall, G.A. 83 Oahu BISH 1956-01-29
23 Cyperus trachysanthos Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details In a damp seep. Preserved_Specimen Hobdy, R.W. 3062 Kauai BISH 1989-07-10
24 Cyperus trachysanthos Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Disturbed lowland wet depression, 30 ft x 60 ft, near boundary of koa haole stand and grassland area. Rare on site. Preserved_Specimen Weidenbach, R. Oahu BISH 1990-10-07
25 Cyperus trachysanthos Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details submerged, but in area that dries out part of year. Preserved_Specimen Herbst, D.R. 457 Oahu BISH 1967-04-24
26 Cyperus trachysanthos Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Coastal Dry Shrubland with Cliffs. Collected in wet saturated area. Preserved_Specimen 300 plants in flower and fruit. Wood, K.R. 2381 Kauai BISH 1993-02-11
27 Cyperus trachysanthos Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Grassy marsh - probably abandoned taro patch. Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 8304 Oahu BISH 1931-04-12
28 Cyperus trachysanthos Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Pasture. Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 12870 Oahu BISH 1940-09-01
29 Cyperus trachysanthos Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Rocky clay slope. Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 11059 Oahu BISH 1937-03-12
30 Cyperus trachysanthos Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Growing at edge of marsh with Brachiaria, Cuphea, Macroptilium lathyroides and other grasses and forbs. Preserved_Specimen Herbst, D.R. 9776 Oahu BISH 1996-06-11
31 Cyperus trachysanthos Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Occasional in marshy place. Preserved_Specimen Hosaka, E.Y. 1668 Kauai BISH 1936-11-05
32 Cyperus trachysanthos Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details In clumps aobut the (dry) lake. Preserved_Specimen Bryan, W.A. Oahu BISH 1903-12-06
33 Cyperus trachysanthos Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Behind canal. Common on levees and banks. Preserved_Specimen Sedge. Shiinoki, E. Oahu BISH 2001-01-01
34 Cyperus trachysanthos Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Rare sedge in talus slopes. In association w/various grasses. Preserved_Specimen Nagata, K.M. 1403 Oahu BISH 1976-11-03
35 Cyperus trachysanthos Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details In clay puddle near ocean. Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 8303 Oahu BISH 1931-12-13
36 Cyperus trachysanthos Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details In a damp seep. Preserved_Specimen Hobdy, R.W. 3062 Kauai BISH 1989-07-10
37 Cyperus trachysanthos Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Meadow, border of lake bottom, large tufts. Preserved_Specimen Herbage viscid. St.John, H. 17993 Oahu BISH 1937-05-28
38 Cyperus trachysanthos Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Myoporum shrubland w/ Hibiscus tiliaceus and secondary invasive species. Preserved_Specimen Sedge, preferring open seeps, ca. 100 plants just below tangle of Hibiscus tilliaceus, on headland slope to northeast o Nuololo aina, mapped, w/ flower and some seed. Wood, K.R. 17947 Kauai BISH 2018-10-04
39 Cyperus trachysanthos Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Exsiccated mud of floodplain. Preserved_Specimen Herbage glutinous. St.John, H. 23599 Niihau BISH 1949-03-30
40 Cyperus trachysanthos Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 2332 Oahu BISH 1916-03-14
41 Cyperus trachysanthos Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details In exposed sunny clay soil. Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 8305 Oahu BISH 1932-01-31
42 Cyperus trachysanthos Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details In Chloris inflata grassland, occasional. Preserved_Specimen Egler, F.E. 3748 Oahu BISH 1937-05-28
43 Cyperus trachysanthos Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Lowlands. Preserved_Specimen Rock, J.F.C. 17124 Oahu BISH 1918-04-14
44 Cyperus trachysanthos Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Leaves and culms glutinous at base. St.John, H. 22732 Niihau BISH 1947-08-12
45 Cyperus trachysanthos Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Drying clay marsh. Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 2177 Kauai BISH 1926-06-12
46 Cyperus trachysanthos Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 2331 Oahu BISH 1916-03-14
47 Cyperus trachysanthos Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 2359 Oahu BISH 1916-03-26
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