Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Monocots: Commelinids: Poales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Cyperus metzii
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Sedges formerly in the genus Kyllinga are quite similar and need to be keyed carefully. Asian spikesedge often has a yellowish green tinge to the plant and the fruiting head is tan color or mixed tan-green. Notable are the ragged (deeply cut) edges of the floral scales. Read more at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
(?)
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Kyllinga squamulata
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Cyperus metzii
SYNONYMOUS WITH Guide to the Vascular Plants of Florida (Wunderlin & Hansen, 2011)
Kyllinga squamulata
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 23 (2002)
Kyllinga squamulata
COMMON NAME:
Crested Greenhead Sedge, Asian Spikesedge
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
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JK Marlow jkm180926_5006
September Greenville County SC
Furman University
Inflorescences of former Kyliinga spp. are unbranched (the spikes sessile), per Weakley's Flora (2020).
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JK Marlow jkm180926_5010
September Greenville County SC
Furman University
Plants cespitose, not rhizomatous, per Flora of North America.
)
JK Marlow jkm180926_5019
September Greenville County SC
Furman University
The solitary spike is subglobose, 6-10mm in diameter, per Flora of North America.
)
JK Marlow jkm180926_5022
September Greenville County SC
Furman University
3-4 leaflike involucral bracts, horizontal to slightly reflexed, flat, 1-6cm, per Flora of North America.
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Cyperus metzii
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
(?)
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Kyllinga squamulata
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Cyperus metzii
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Guide to the Vascular Plants of Florida (Wunderlin & Hansen, 2011)
Kyllinga squamulata
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 23
Kyllinga squamulata
3968
Grass, Sedge, or Rush
Annual
Habitat: Lawns, turf farms, athletic fields, golf courses, other disturbed areas, per Weakley's Flora
Non-native: Asia
Rare
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Simple
Basal
RHIZOMES? STOLONS?
Cespitose [growing in dense tufts, clumping], not rhizomatous
FLOWER:
Summer
Heads straw-colored, greenish, tan & green
Bracts 3-4, to 6cm long
(1)2 stamens
Superior ovary
Bisexual or staminate
Inflorescences unbranched (the spikes sessile)
FRUIT:
Summer/Fall?
Spikelet with one nutlet enclosed by two scales
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".