''Cyperus zollingeri'', commonly known as roadside flatsedge, 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 tropical areas of Australia, Africa and Asia.

Description

The annual herb or grass-like sedge typically grows to a height of and has a tufted habit. It blooms between in spring between April and May producing green flowers. The root system consists of thin dense fibrous roots. The stems are trigonous to triquetrous up to a length of . The plant has short leaves that have a width of with a well developed

ligule A ligule (from "strap", variant of ''lingula'', from ''lingua'' "tongue") is a thin outgrowth at the junction of leaf and leafstalk of many grasses (Poaceae) and sedges. A ligule is also a strap-shaped extension of the corolla, such as that of a ...

. The stems at the base of the plant have papery sheaths that are scabrid towards the top. When it flowers it produces a simple, loose

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 ...

with a peduncle that has a spike of spikelets with one to three rays. Later it will form a brown to black trigonous nut that is in length.

Taxonomy

The species was first formally described as ''Cyperus lucidulus'' by

Johann Heinrich Friedrich Link Johann Heinrich Friedrich Link (2 February 1767 – 1 January 1851) was a German naturalist and botanist. Biography Link was born at Hildesheim as a son of the minister August Heinrich Link (1738–1783), who taught him love of nature throug ...

in the 1820 work by Link,

Sprengel Sprengel is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Hermann Sprengel (1834–1906), chemist * Karl or Carl Sprengel (1787–1859), botanist * Kurt Sprengel (1766–1833), botanist * Christian Konrad Sprengel (1750–1816), teacher and ...

, and Schrader ''Jahrbucher der Gewachskunde''. In 1854 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 ...

Ernst Gottlieb von Steudel Ernst Gottlieb von Steudel (30 May 1783 – 12 May 1856) was a German physician and an authority on poaceae, grasses. Biography Ernst Gottlieb von Steudel was born at Esslingen am Neckar in Baden-Württemberg. He was educated at the University of ...

classified it by the current name in the work ''Synopsis Plantarum Glumacearum''. The only other synonym is ''Cyperus ramosii'' as described by

Georg Kükenthal Georg Kükenthal (30 March 1864 in Weißenfels – 20 October 1955 in Coburg) was a German pastor and botanist who specialized in the field of caricology. He was the brother of zoologist Willy Kükenthal (1861–1922). From 1882 to 1885 he studie ...

in 1925 as part of the work ''Cyperaceae novae. VII. Repertorium Specierum Novarum Regni Vegetabilis''.

Distribution

The species is native to many tropical areas. In Australia it is native to

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 ...

where it is found along streams and creeks 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 ...

region growing in sandy-clay alluvium. It is also found across the

top end The Top End of Australia's Northern Territory is a geographical region encompassing the northernmost section of the Northern Territory, which aside from the Cape York Peninsula is the northernmost part of the Australian continent. It covers a ra ...

of 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 both

Cape York Peninsula Cape York Peninsula is a large peninsula located in Far North Queensland, Australia. It is the largest unspoiled wilderness in northern Australia.Mittermeier, R.E. et al. (2002). Wilderness: Earth’s last wild places. Mexico City: Agrupación ...

and north east

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 species is also native in 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 ...

including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Kenya; Madagascar; Mali, Senegal and Tanzania. It is also native to parts of Asia including India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Taiwan and China.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q10925232 Plants described in 1855 Flora of Western Australia Flora of Queensland Flora of the Northern Territory zollingeri

Description

Taxonomy

Distribution

See also

References