Cyperus flavidus
Content
Description
Annual with fibrous, yellowish roots, in favourable circumstances perennial with short rhizome;
Leaves rigid, narrow, canaliculate, often almost setaceous, very gradually acuminate, smooth or slightly scabrid at the top, 1-2(-3) mm wide;
Inflorescence simple or subcompound, rather open to contracted into a single cluster.
Stamens 2;
Distribution
Asia-Tropical: Borneo; Malaya (Peninsular Malaysia), Australasia, Central and S. Asia present, Tropical Africa present, the Mediterranean region present, warmer parts of the eastern hemisphere present
Widely distributed in the warmer parts of the eastern hemisphere: tropical Africa, from the Mediterranean region through Central and S. Asia to Australia; rather common in Malesia, but still unknown from the Malay Peninsula and Borneo.
Notes
Often confused with C. sanguinolentus and C. polystachyos. From the former distinguished by the enodulose stem-base and the shape of the nut, from the latter by the more obtuse glumes, the straight, wingless rachilla, the linear spikelets, and the shape of the nut.
Rather polymorphous. C. nilagiricus was mainly founded on the dark colour of the glumes, but CLARKE included all the forms with narrow spikelets whatever the colour. In Malesia the width of the spikelets varies between 2 and 3 mm, but the colour varies independently of the width. KÜKENTHAL referred some apparently depauperate specimens from Java (not seen) to ƒ. pauperior (BOECK.) [C. nilagiricus var. pauperior HOCHST. ex ]. As to KÜKENTHAL’S var. oblonginux I agree with BLAKE l.c. that there exists an intergrading series from oblong-elliptic nuts to the much more usual obovate ones.
Rather polymorphous. C. nilagiricus was mainly founded on the dark colour of the glumes, but CLARKE included all the forms with narrow spikelets whatever the colour. In Malesia the width of the spikelets varies between 2 and 3 mm, but the colour varies independently of the width. KÜKENTHAL referred some apparently depauperate specimens from Java (not seen) to ƒ. pauperior (BOECK.) [C. nilagiricus var. pauperior HOCHST. ex ]. As to KÜKENTHAL’S var. oblonginux I agree with BLAKE l.c. that there exists an intergrading series from oblong-elliptic nuts to the much more usual obovate ones.
Citation
S. T. BLAKE 1947 – In: J. Arn. Arb.: 220
BOECK. 1868 – In: Linnaea: 458
BACK. 1949 – In: Bekn. Fl. Java, (em. ed.): fam. 246, p. 41
Clarke 1893 – In: Fl. Br. Ind.: 591
Miq. 1856 – In: Fl. Ind. Bat.: 258
KÜK. 1936 – In: Pfl. R.: 352
RETZ. 1835: Herb. Timor. Descr.: 31
STEUD 1855 – In: Syn.: 3
ALL. 1922 – In: Exk. Fl. Java: f. 198
KERN 1968 – In: Back. & Bakh.f., Fl. Java 3: 471
VALCK. SUR. 1898: Gesl. Cyp. Mal. Arch: 58: t. 2 f. 12
Miq. 1856 – In: Fl. Ind. Bat.: 256
Clarke 1907 – In: Philip. J. Sc.: Bot. 80
BACK. 1928: Onkr. Suiker: 128: t. 120
Clarke 1884 – In: J. Linn. Soc. Bot.: 47
CAMUS 1912: p. 31. – In: Fl. Gén. I.-C.: f. 3, 10
HASSK. 1848: Pl. Jav. Rar.: 71
Koord. 1911 – In: Exk. Fl. Java: 186, 192
BOECK. 1868 – In: Linnaea: 457
DECNE 1834 – In: Nouv. Ann. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris: 359
Merr. 1923 – In: En. Philip.: 110
Benth. 1878 – In: Fl. Austr.: 260