Cyperaceae
Cyperus

Cyperus angolensis Boeckeler

First published in Flora 63: 435 (1880)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tropical & S. Africa. It is a perennial or tuberous geophyte and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Cyperaceae, K Hoenselaar, B. Verdcourt & H. Beentje. Hypolytrum, D Simpson. Fuirena, M Muasya. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2010

Type
Type: Angola, Malange, von Mechow 182 (BR!, holo.; B!, BR!, M!, iso.)
Morphology General Habit
Perennial, up to 100 cm tall, stoloniferous, stolons 1–11 cm long, 2–6 mm in diameter, densely covered by brown multi-veined scales which sometimes split into fibres.
Morphology Culms
Culm base swollen and covered in leaf sheaths, 14–98 cm long, 1.4–2.7 mm wide, trigonous, smooth Culms solitary.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves up to 64 cm long. Leaf blade linear, flat or folded, rather thick, 7–56 cm long, 3.5–8 mm wide, scabrid on margin and primary vein, apex acuminate Leaf sheath at base brown, higher up green, 2.5–10 cm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Involucral bracts leaf-like, spreading or reflexed, 3–4, lowermost 2.5–13 cm long, 3.1–5 mm wide
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence capitate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets crowded, many per head, ovoid, 6–11.2 mm long, 4–5.7 mm wide, rachis straight.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes greyish-white to sometimes pinkish-white, lanceolate, 4.2–7 mm long, 1.5–2.7 mm wide, keel, apex acute
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 3.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Filaments
Filaments 5–6 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers
Anthers 1.6–3 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Nutlet yellowish brown to olive green, obovoid, trigonous, 2.5–3.2 mm long, 1.3–1.6 mm wide, minutely papillose
Ecology
In dry grassland with shrubs or scattered trees, often in places where burning is frequent; (450–)1400–2550 m
Conservation
Least Concern (LC) due to its wide distribution
Distribution
Flora districts: U1 T1 T4 T7 T8 Range: Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Congo Brazaville, Gabon, Rwanda, CongoKinshasa, Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, South Africa
[FTEA]

J. Browning, K.D. Gordon-Gray†, M. Lock, H. Beentje, K. Vollesen, K. Bauters, C. Archer, I. Larridon, M. Xanthos, P. Vorster, J. Bruhl, K. Wilson and X. Zhang (2020). Flora Zambesiaca Volume: 14: Cyperaceae. M.Á. García, J.R. Timberlake (Eds). Kew Publish

Type
Angola, Malange, vii.1879, von Mechow 182 (BR holotype, B, BR, M).
Morphology General Habit
Perennial, up to 100 cm tall, from a horizontal rhizome 1–14(24) cm long, 3–6 mm in diameter, densely covered by brown multi-veined scales which sometimes split into fibres; culms solitary, culm base swollen and covered in leaf sheaths, 14–98 cm long, 1.4–2.7 mm wide, trigonous, smooth
Morphology Leaves
Leaves up to 64 cm long; leaf sheath at base brown, higher up green, 2.5–10 cm long; leaf blade linear, flat or folded, rather thick, 7–56 cm long, 3.5–8 mm wide, scabrid on margin and primary vein, apex acuminate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Involucral bracts leaf-like, spreading or reflexed, 3(4), lowermost 2.5–13 cm long, 3.1–5 mm wide
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence capitate, 12–30 mm in diameter; spikelets crowded, c. 6–15-flowered, many per head, ovoid, 6–11.2 × 4–5.7 mm wide, rachis straight; glumes greyish-white to sometimes pinkish-white, lanceolate, 4.2–7 × 1.5–2.7 mm wide, keeled, apex acute
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 3; filaments 5–6 mm long; anthers 1.6–3 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Nutlet yellowish brown to olive green to black, obovoid, trigonous, 2.5–3.2 × 1.3–1.6 mm wide, minutely papillose.
Distribution
Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique. Also in Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Congo,  Gabon, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, D.R. Congo and South Africa.
Ecology
Brachystegia/Julbernardia woodlands, and in open grasslands, extending into upland Exotheca/Loudetia grasslands, often in places where burning is frequent; (450)1400–2500 m.
Conservation
Least Concern because of its wide distribution.
[FZ]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Cyperaceae, Miss S. S. Hooper. Flora of West Tropical Africa 3:2. 1972

Morphology General Habit
Perennial from a stout creeping rhizome
Morphology Leaves
Firm, rough, grey-green leaves up to 1 cm. wide
Morphology Stem
Erect stems to 1 m. high
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
A hemispherical white head up to 2 cm. across of coarse Mariscus-like spikelets subtended by spreading bracts; anthers large, yellow
Ecology
Montane savanna, conspicuous after burning.
[FWTA]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0