Cyperus strigosus L.

• Authority

  Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.

• Family

  Cyperaceae

• Scientific Name

  Cyperus strigosus L.

• Description

  Species Description - Short-lived perennial without well developed rhizomes, sometimes blooming the first year; stems few or solitary, smooth, sharply triangular, 1–6(–10) dm; lvs crowded toward the base, mostly 2–10(–15) mm wide; spikes usually branched at base; spikelets numerous in short-cylindric spikes, spreading ± at right angles from the ± elongate rachis, 6–25 × 1–2 mm, strongly compressed, deciduous at maturity, the rachilla disarticulating just above the reduced lowermost pair of scales; scales (3–)3.5–4.5(–5) mm, keeled and multinerved, with greenish midrib and ± golden sides, tending to be narrowly hyaline-margined distally, persistent, each one overlapping the next one above on the same side; anthers less than 0.5 mm; achene 1.5–2 mm, unequally linear-trigonous, held between the hyaline wings of the readily deciduous rachilla. Moist fields, swamps, and shores; Que. to Minn. and S.D., s. to Fla. and Tex., and w. irregularly to the Pacific.

• Common Names

  false nutsedge