''Cyperus vaginatus'', commonly known as stiff-leaf sedge or stiff flat-sedge, 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 rhizomatous perennial herb grass-like sedge typically grows to a height of and has a tufted habit. It blooms between November and February producing green-brown flowers. The culms are rigid with a terete arrangement. The culms grow to around in height and have a diameter of about . The leaves are just sheaths. The simple or compound

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 four to twelve primary branches up to a length of approximately but usually shorter. The spikelets are flattened with between four and fifteen in each cluster each are long and in width. Following flowering, a grey-brown trigonous nut with an obovoid to ellipsoid shape will form. The nut is around in length with a diameter of about .

Taxonomy

The species was first formally described by the

botanist Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek wo ...

Robert Brown in the work '' Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen'' that was published in 1810. The samples were collected in 1802 during an expedition by and to map the South Australian coastline. The species name ''vaginatus'' is taken from the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

word, ''vagina'', meaning sheath.

Distribution

The plant is found in subtropical regions extending into tropical areas in the northern end of its range. 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 creeks and streams in the

Kimberley Kimberly or Kimberley may refer to: Places and historical events Australia * Kimberley (Western Australia) ** Roman Catholic Diocese of Kimberley * Kimberley Warm Springs, Tasmania * Kimberley, Tasmania a small town * County of Kimberley, a ...

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 ...

Mid West The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of the United States. I ...

and Goldfields-Esperance regions where it grows in sandy-clay alluvium often around

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

. The species is also found in north western and south eastern

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

, Victoria,

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

, the

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory ...

and

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 will grow well in full sun to part shade in well-drained soils but can need watering in summer when cultivated. In Victoria, the species was once found in the

Grampians The Grampian Mountains (''Am Monadh'' in Scottish Gaelic, Gaelic) is one of the three major mountain ranges in Scotland, that together occupy about half of Scotland. The other two ranges are the Northwest Highlands and the Southern Uplands. T ...

and around Swan Hill but no specimens have been collected in 1913 and it is now possibly

extinct Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...

in these areas.

Uses

''Cyperus vaginatus'' can be harvested from the wild as a source of fibre. The fibre is taken from the outer parts of the stems and is traditionally used by

Indigenous Australians Indigenous Australians or Australian First Nations are people with familial heritage from, and membership in, the ethnic groups that lived in Australia before British colonisation. They consist of two distinct groups: the Aboriginal peoples ...

to make nets and cordage. The species is known to attract butterflies.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15536345 Plants described in 1810 Flora of Western Australia Flora of South Australia Flora of Queensland Flora of New South Wales Flora of the Northern Territory vaginatus Taxa named by Robert Brown (botanist, born 1773)

Description

Taxonomy

Distribution

Uses

See also

References