Cyperus difformis

Family:CYPERACEAE
Species:Cyperus difformis L.
Common Name:Variable Flatsedge; Small Flower Flatsedge
Habitat:**
Associated Ecological Communities:**
Growth Habit:Herb
Duration:Annual
Category:Vascular
USDA Symbol:**
Plant Notes:Variable Flatsedge is an introduced herbaceous annual in the Sedge family (Cyperaceae). It is native from southern Europe south through Africa and east through Asia to Australia. In Alabama it can be found at scattered locations statewide. Variable Flatsedge grows in disturbed wet habitats such as lakes and ponds, roadside ditches, and storm drains. It is a clump-forming annual with a fibrous root system. Each clump has 1-15 erect stems that are 3-angled, glabrous, and 3-12 inches in height. There are 2-7 flat, linear, glabrous leaves. Flowers are produced in spikes that are arranged in dense, sessile, irregular heads. The heads are subtended by 2-4 bracts with minute teeth along their margins. The longest bract of the inflorescence appears as a continuation of culm and the other bracts are spreading. Spikelets are greenish-brown to purple-brown in color. The fruit is a light brown obovoid to elliptical achene. The surface of the achene is finely reticulate and papillose.—A. Diamond
Taxonomic Notes:**
Status:Not Native, OBL (NWI)
References:**

** Not applicable or data not available.

Classification

FamilyCYPERACEAE - Sedge family
Genus Cyperus
Species Cyperus difformis L. - Variable Flatsedge; Small Flower Flatsedge

Citation

Citation Cyperus difformis Linnaeus, Cent. Pl. II 2: 6. 1756.
Basionym: **
Type: INDIA: Without data (lectotype: LINN 70.10). Lectotypified by G. C. Tucker, Syst. Bot. Monogr. 43: 50. 1994.

** Not applicable or data not available.

Synonyms

SynonymFull CitationBasionymType
Cyperus complanatus Cyperus complanatus Forsskål, Fl. Aegypt.-Arab. 14. 1775.  
Cyperus difformis var. breviglobosus Cyperus difformis Linnaeus, var. breviglobosus Kükenthal, in Engler, Pflanzenr. 4(Heft 101): 240. 1936.  
Cyperus difformis var. congestus Cyperus difformis Linnaeus, var. congestus E. G. Camus, Notul. Syst. (Paris) 1: 291. 1910.  
Cyperus difformis var. pumilus Cyperus difformis Linnaeus, var. pumilus Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 749. 1891.  
Cyperus difformis var. subdecompositus Cyperus difformis Linnaeus, var. subdecompositus Kükenthal, in Engler, Pflanzenr. 4(Heft 101): 240. 1936.  
Cyperus goeringii Cyperus goeringii Steudel, Syn. Pl. Glumac. 2: 24. 1854. INDONESIA: Java:
Cyperus holoschoenoides Cyperus holoschoenoides Jan ex Schultes, Mant. 2: 111. 1824.  
Cyperus lateriflorus Cyperus lateriflorus Torrey, in Emory, Rep. U.S. Mex. Bound. 2(1): 226. 1858 ("1859"). MEXICO: Sonora: E of Santa Cruz, s.d., Wright 1950 (holotype: NY; isotypes: GH, YU).
Cyperus oryzetorum Cyperus oryzetorum Steudel, Syn. Pl. Glumac. 2: 24. 1854. U.S.S.R.: Azerbaijan: Lenkoran,
Cyperus protractus Cyperus protractus Link, Hort. Berol. 1: 305. 1827, non Delile 1813-1814.  
Cyperus subrotundus Cyperus subrotundus Llanos, Fragm. Pl. Filip. 14. 1851.  

Specimens and Distribution

This species has been reported in the following counties by the herbaria listed. An overview of the individual specimens are provided in the table that follows. Click on the accession number to view details; click on column headers to sort; choose a county or herbaria to filter the specimen data.

Counties included on distribution map: Colbert, Houston, Jackson, Limestone, Marshall, Mobile, Washington

Counties represented by specimen data listed below:

Herbaria represented by specimen data listed below: ALNHS, AUA, JSU, TROY, UNAF, UWAL

Range of years during which specimens were collected: -

Barcode / Accession No. County Coll. Date Collector &
Collection No.
Herbarium &
Herbarium Name Used
Image
UWAL0047079 Jackson 20 Aug 2008 Webb, David H.
6799
UWAL
Cyperus difformis L.
TROY000036213 Houston 09 Dec 2012 Diamond, Alvin R.
23586
TROY
Cyperus difformis Linnaeus
JSU111899 Marshall 19 Oct 1992 Spaulding, Daniel D.
3268
JSU
Cyperus difformis Linnaeus
ALNHS00007379 Washington 06 NOV 2018 Barger, T. Wayne
SP#4565
ALNHS
Cyperus difformis L.
TROY000043880 Houston 03 Dec 2015 Diamond, Alvin R.
27100
TROY
Cyperus difformis Linnaeus
UWAL0049739 Jackson 25 Aug 2010 Webb, David H.
7449
UWAL
Cyperus difformis L.
UNAF0001797 Colbert 05 Jul 2010 Webb, David H.
7373
UNAF
Cyperus difformis Linnaeus
ALNHS00007611 Limestone 21 Aug 2019 Barger, T. Wayne
SP#4837
ALNHS
Cyperus difformis L.
AUA000021015 Limestone 22 Sep 1970 Kral, Robert
41221
AUA
Cyperus Difformis L.
UWAL0049719 Colbert 05 Jul 2010 Webb, David H.
7373
UWAL
Cyperus difformis L.
UWAL0013529 Houston 09 Dec 2012 Diamond, Alvin R.
23586
UWAL
Cyperus difformis Linnaeus
ALNHS00007044 Limestone 10 Sep 2020 Barger, T. Wayne
SP#5407
ALNHS
Cyperus difformis L.
ALNHS00007612 Limestone 21 Aug 2019 Barger, T. Wayne
SP#4833
ALNHS
Cyperus difformis L.
UWAL0033100 Houston 03 Dec 2015 Diamond, Alvin R.
27100
UWAL
Cyperus difformis Linnaeus
ALNHS00006513 Houston 02 Aug 2019 Barger, T. Wayne
SP#4703
ALNHS
Cyperus difformis L.
TROY000028375 Mobile 12 Sep 1995 Carter, Richard
12711
TROY
Cyperus difformis Linnaeus
UWAL0047072 Colbert 05 Jul 2010 Webb, David H.
7373
UWAL
Cyperus difformis L.
UWAL0035801 Mobile 04 Aug 2013 Horne, Howard E.
2335
UWAL
Cyperus difformis Linnaeus
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