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plains flatsedge

Scientific Name: Cyperus onerosus

Family: Cyperaceae

Category: Monocot

Growth: Graminoid

Duration: Perennial

Other Names:

       

Cyperus lupulinus: Great Plains Flatsedge

Cyperus lupulinus, commonly known as the Great Plains flatsedge or slender flatsedge, is a plant species native to North America.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

  • Scientific Name: Cyperus lupulinus
  • Synonym: Cyperus lupulinus (Spreng.) Marcks
  • Family: Cyperaceae (Sedge Family)
  • Genus: Cyperus
  • Species: lupulinus
  • Subspecies:
    • Cyperus lupulinus subsp. lupulinus
    • Cyperus lupulinus subsp. macilentus (Fernald) Marcks
  • USDA Symbol: (Mentioned as a synonym, but the actual symbol is not provided)
  • Alternative Scientific Names: Cyperus bushii (mentioned as a synonym for Cyperus lupulinus ssp. lupulinus)

Distribution and Habitat

  • Native to North America, widespread across southeastern Canada and the central and northeastern United States.
  • Occasionally found in the Pacific Northwest.
  • Prefers open fields, roadsides, and disturbed areas on sandy, well-drained soil.
  • Also found in wet areas.
  • There are two subspecies in New England.

Morphological Characteristics

  • Culms: Slender, wiry, 3-sided, and glabrous (smooth).
  • Leaves: Blades folded together lengthwise or flat, 2 to 18 inches long, 1/25 to 1/7 inch wide, shorter than the culms.
  • Displays a columnar development, growing upwards with little width.

Quirky Facts

  • The scales of Cyperus lupulinus subsp. macilentus are more loosely arranged around the fruit than those of the closely related Cyperus lupulinus.

Further Information

  • Information available from the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS), NatureServe, uBio.
  • Photos are credited to Stephen M. Young, Pete Woods and Gerald D. Tang.