''Cyperus rigidellus'' is a sedge of the family
Cyperaceae
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'' w ...
that is native to Australia.
Description
The short-lived
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 ...
or annual,
herbaceous
Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials.
Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous"
The fourth edition of t ...
, grass-like sedge typically grows to a height of .
[ The terete culms are three sided with sharp edges and concave sides and are often rough higher up. The culms are typically in length and have a diameter of . The leaves are usually longer than the culms and often curly at the apex and have a width of around .][ The head-like or simple ]inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...
has one to four branches that in length. Each inflorescence is loosely or densely clustered with a globose
A sphere () is a geometrical object that is a three-dimensional analogue to a two-dimensional circle. A sphere is the set of points that are all at the same distance from a given point in three-dimensional space.. That given point is the ce ...
shape and around in diameter. The flattened spikelets occur in clusters of 5 to 15 each containing 6 to 25 flowers. Each spikelet is in length and wide. After flowering trigonous pale brown nuts form with a narrow-obovoid to narrow-ellipsoid shape.[
]
Taxonomy
The species was initially confused with ''Cyperus gilesii
''Cyperus gilesii'', commonly known as Giles' flat-sedge, is a sedge of the Cyperaceae that is native to Australia.
Description
The annual or perennial sedge has a slender tufted habit. It has smooth trigonous or triquetrous shaped culms that ...
'' and ''C. enervis''.[ It was first formally described as a ]variety
Variety may refer to:
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* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
of ''C. gracilis'' by the botanist George Bentham
George Bentham (22 September 1800 – 10 September 1884) was an English botanist, described by the weed botanist Duane Isely as "the premier systematic botanist of the nineteenth century". Born into a distinguished family, he initially studi ...
in 1878 (as ''C. gracilis'' var. ''rigidellus''). Charles Baron Clarke
Charles Baron Clarke (17 June 1832 – 25 August 1906) was a British botanist. He was born at Andover, Hampshire, Andover, the eldest son of Turner Poulter Clarke. He was educated at King's College School, London, and at Trinity College, Cambrid ...
promoted it to the independent species ''Mariscus rigidellus'' in 1908, John McConnell Black
John McConnell Black (28 April 1855 – 2 December 1951) was a Scottish botanist who emigrated to Australia in 1877 and eventually documented and illustrated thousands of flora in South Australia in the early 20th century. His publications assi ...
moved it back to ''Cyperus
''Cyperus'' is a large genus of about 700 species of sedges, distributed throughout all continents in both tropical and temperate regions.
Description
They are annual or perennial plants, mostly aquatic and growing in still or slow-moving w ...
'' in 1929 as part of the work ''Additions and Corrections'' as published in ''Flora of South Australia''. There are several synonyms
A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...
.
Distribution
It is found in all mainland states and territories in Australia.[ In ]Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
it is found along stream and creek, around clay pans, on flood plains and other damp areas in the Mid West
The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four Census Bureau Region, census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of ...
, Pilbara
The Pilbara () is a large, dry, thinly populated region in the north of Western Australia. It is known for its Aboriginal peoples; its ancient landscapes; the red earth; and its vast mineral deposits, in particular iron ore. It is also a glo ...
, Gascoyne
The Gascoyne region is one of the nine administrative regions of Western Australia. It is located in the northwest of Western Australia, and consists of the local government areas of Carnarvon, Exmouth, Shark Bay and Upper Gascoyne. The Gasc ...
and Goldfields-Esperance regions where it grows in loamy-sand or clay-sand soils.[ In ]New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
it is found in inland areas usually in ephemeral
Ephemerality (from the Greek word , meaning 'lasting only one day') is the concept of things being transitory, existing only briefly. Academically, the term ephemeral constitutionally describes a diverse assortment of things and experiences, fr ...
ly wet places including floodways and roadside drains.[
]
See also
*List of Cyperus species
The genus ''Cyperus'' contains the following species recognised by ''The Plant List'' in 2015. Other species have since been considered synonyms, been newly described, or seem to have been omitted from the website database at the time. See refere ...
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q15535150
Plants described in 1929
Flora of Western Australia
rigidellus
Taxa named by John McConnell Black