Cyperus sphacelatus
Content
Description
Annual with fibrous roots.
Leaves few, shorter than the stems. rather rigid, flat or slightly canaliculate, gradually acuminate, scabrid in the upper half on margins and underside of midrib, 2-4 mm wide.
Inflorescence simple or compound, open.
Stamens 3;
Distribution
Asia-Tropical: Borneo (Brunei present); Malaya (Peninsular Malaysia present, Singapore present), Australasia: Queensland (Queensland), Ceylon, Coromandel, Gazelle Peninsula present, Jesselton present, Johore present, Kuching present, Labuan I present, McCluer Gulf present, Merauke present, N. Sumatra present, New Britain present, Nunukan present, P. Penang present, Tahiti, Tropical Africa present, W. New Guinea present, northern Borneo present, tropical America present
Widely distributed in tropical Africa and tropical America, elsewhere introduced (Coromandel, Ceylon, Queensland, Tahiti), in Malesia: N. Sumatra, Malay Peninsula (P. Penang, Johore, Singapore), Northern Borneo (Kuching, Jesselton, Brunei, Labuan I., Nunukan), W. New Guinea (McCluer Gulf, Merauke), New Britain (Gazelle Peninsula), obviously naturalising.
Notes
The earliest Malesian collection may be that of VESTERDAL (“Malacca”, without date). In Sumatra it was first collected in 1922, in the other islands more recently. It is said to be collected in E. Java (Lawang) as early as 1905 by MOLHUYSEN, but since MOLHUYSEN'S collections include several plants certainly not native to Java, this statement is very doubtful.
The species is very similar to C. tenuiculmis; it can be distinguished by its annual habit, the smaller, distinctly imbricate glumes, the oblong anthers, the somewhat smaller nuts, and usually at once by the purple spots on either side of the glumes (sometimes on one side only, rarely lacking), together giving the impression of a purple stripe along the centre of the spikelet.
The species is very similar to C. tenuiculmis; it can be distinguished by its annual habit, the smaller, distinctly imbricate glumes, the oblong anthers, the somewhat smaller nuts, and usually at once by the purple spots on either side of the glumes (sometimes on one side only, rarely lacking), together giving the impression of a purple stripe along the centre of the spikelet.
Citation
ROTTB. 1773: Descr. & Ic. p 26
Clarke 1884 – In: J. Linn. Soc. Bot. p 183
ROTTB. 1955 – In: Blumea. p 162
KERN 1952: p. 107. – In: Reinwardtia. f. 5
BACK. 1949 – In: Bekn. Fl. Java, (em. ed.). fam. 246. p. 39
ROTTB. 1968 – In: Back. & Bakh.f., Fl. Java 3. p 481
BOECK. 1870 – In: Linnaea. p 292
KÜK. 1935 – In: Pfl. R. p 129