Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Monocots: Commelinids: Poales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Scleria oligantha
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Read more about Littlehead Nutrush at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Scleria oligantha
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Scleria oligantha
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 23 (2002)
Scleria oligantha
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 030-15-001:
Scleria oligantha FAMILY Cyperaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Scleria oligantha
COMMON NAME:
Few-flowered Nutrush, Littlehead Nutrush
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
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USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_britt_3957_scleria_ol
The long, filiform, arching lateral peduncles are distinctive, per Weakley's Flora.
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Terry Holdsclaw tdh_s_oligantha_9753
April Catawba County NC
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Terry Holdsclaw tdh_s_oligantha_9760
April Catawba County NC
)
Terry Holdsclaw tdh_s_oligantha_0011
May Iredell County NC
Bracts subtending inflorescence leaflike, linear-lanceolate, 3-10 cm, per Flora of North America.
)
Terry Holdsclaw tdh_s_oligantha_7470
June Iredell County NC
The inflorescence clusters are small, with only 1-4 spikelets each, per Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
)
JK Marlow jkm130718_461
July McDowell County NC
Base of achene has hypogynium w 8-9 minutely papillate [nipple-like] tubercles, per Weakley's Flora.
)
JK Marlow jkm240703_0167
July Greenville County SC
Very leafy, & a clump-former. Leaves radiate outward, parallel to ground, leaf tips bending down, per Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
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JK Marlow jkm240703_0168
July Greenville County SC
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JK Marlow jkm240703_0170
July Greenville County SC
Leaf blades linear, ribbed, shorter than or equaling culms, 2-6mm wide, per Flora of North America.
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Scleria oligantha
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Scleria oligantha
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Scleria oligantha
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 23
Scleria oligantha
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 030-15-001:
Scleria oligantha
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Scleria oligantha
2257
Grass, Sedge, or Rush
Perennial
Monoecious
Habitat: Dry to moist forests and woodlands, swamp forests, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Common
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Simple
Mostly low alternate, 3-ranked
FLOWER:
Summer/Fall
Superior ovary
Unisexual
FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Nutlet
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".