''Cyperus hemisphaericus'' is a species of

sedge The Cyperaceae are a family of graminoid (grass-like), monocotyledonous flowering plants known as sedges. The family is large, with some 5,500 known species described in about 90 genera, the largest being the "true sedges" genus ''Carex'' wit ...

that is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to eastern parts of

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

Description

The

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

plant has a creeping but short

rhizome In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...

that has a tufted grass-like habit and grows to a height of approximately . It has many crowded basal leaves and stems that are in length and wide with a triangular cross section. The flat to folded slightly stiff leaves are in length with a width of .

Taxonomy

The species was first formally described by the botanist

Johann Otto Boeckeler Johann Otto Boeckeler (12 August 18035 March 1899) was a German apothecary- botanist of Oldenburg. He specialized in the plant family Cyperaceae (sedges), of which, he was the binomial authority of many species. He is commemorated with the genus ...

in 1859.

Distribution

The range of the plant extends from

Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...

in the north down to

Mozambique Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...

in the south along eastern

including the island of

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...

. The plant grows from sea level to an altitude of approximately . It is often situated as a part of open

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur natur ...

, wooded grassland and '' Brachystegia'' woodland communities as well as

savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the Canopy (forest), canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to rea ...

and seasonally wet grassland communities.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15533180 hemisphaericus Taxa named by Johann Otto Boeckeler Plants described in 1859 Flora of Zimbabwe Flora of Tanzania Flora of Somalia Flora of Mozambique Flora of Malawi Flora of Madagascar Flora of Kenya

Description

Taxonomy

Distribution

See also

References