Pycreus mundtii Cherm.

Global description
 
Pycreus mundtii is a small vivacious sedge of marshes and rice fields, with creeping, long and scaly rhizomes. The stolons, more or less branched, take roots at the nodes. The stems are trigonal, robust, thick, first prostrate and upright, reaching 30 to 50 cm in height. They are densely leafy up to half or two thirds of the erected portion. The leaves are numerous, widely nested and arranged in a tristichous way, 8 to 12 cm long, glabrous. The inflorescence is a simple or compound umbel of 7 or 10 sub-equal erect or spreading flower stalk of3 to 5 cm long. It is sub-tended by 3-5 leafy bracts, usually longer than the umbel. The spikelets are ovate lanceolate, 5 to 12 mm long and 3 to 4 mm wide, fairly intertwined, pale brown in colour, grouped in short spikes.
 
First leaves
 
Young plants emerge from stolons. First leaf with rolled aestivation, more or less tinged purplish red at the base. The lamina is first reduced to a peak of about 5 mm long, which extends up to 2.5 cm by 2.5 mm wide, arranged obliquely in a tristichous way, shiny green in colour.
 
General habit
 
Small creeping sedge, with long scaly rhizomes and stems prostrate at first and then erect, reaching 40 to 50 cm high.
 
Underground system
 
Underground system consists of long rhizomes, quite thick and scaly. Adventitious roots develop from the nodes of the stolons and rhizomes.
 
Stem
 
Stem is trigonal, full, robust, first prostrate then erect, densely leafy up to half or two thirds of its height.
 
Leaf
 
Leaves simple, alternate, numerous, sheathing, nested, arranged in a tristichous way. The sheath is quite long (1-2 cm), leafy dorsally and membranous ventrally. The nested sheaths cover the lower 2/3 of the erect portion of the stem. The lamina is spread, flat, 8 to 10 cm long and 4 to 7 mm wide, acute at the apex. Both sides are glabrous. The margin is entire and smooth.
 
Inflorescence
 
Inflorescence in simple or compound umbel, consisting of 7-10 sub equal flower stalk, more or less prostrate, 3 to 5 cm long. The 3 to 5 leafy involucral bracts, are longer than the umbel, of 4 to 7 cm. Short spikes formed from 6 to 12 spikelets.

Spikelet

Spikelets oval lanceolate, 5 to 12 mm long and 3 to 4 mm wide, rather embedded, with broadly ovate glumes, 2.5 mm long, with obtuse or sub-marginate top, not mucronate, pale brown in colour.
 
Fruit
 
The fruit is an ellipsoid achene, biconvex, not zoned transversely, brownish green in color, 0.7 mm long, equaling barely 1/3 of the glume.

Origin

Pycreus mundtii is native to Africa and Madagascar.

Global distribution

This species has been introduced in Cuba, the Canary Islands and south and south-east Brazil

https://www.gbif.org/fr/species/7803289