Roadless Areas
Home/Species/ Schweinitz's Flatsedge

Cyperus schweinitzii

Torr.

Schweinitz's Flatsedge

G5Secure Found in 2 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.155329
Element CodePMCYP06360
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassMonocotyledoneae
OrderCyperales
FamilyCyperaceae
GenusCyperus
Other Common Names
Sand Flatsedge (EN) Sand Nut-grass (EN) Schweinitz's flatsedge (EN) Souchet de Schweinitz (FR)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Conservation Status
Review Date1984-04-24
Change Date1984-04-24
Range Extent Comments
Great Lakes, Midwest and Great Plains, with many outliers, from Queb. to Alb., south from WV to NM. Peripheral.
Ecology & Habitat

Description

Schweinitz' Flatsedge is a grass-like perennial with stems that are 10-40 cm high, arising from short, irregularly swollen rhizomes. The leaves are 1-4 mm wide and located mostly near the base of the plant. The inflorescence is subtended by 3-6 long, leaf-like bracts, some of which are wider than the leaves. The infloresence is made up of ascending clusters of flattened spikelets that are 5-25 mm long and borne on stalks that are very short to long. The flowers are crowded opposite each other and consist only of a small, pointed scale, which is ca. 3-4 mm long and subtends 3 stamens and an ovary. The seed is triangular in cross-section.

Diagnostic Characteristics

This is our only perennial CYPERUS and is the only one occurring in upland habitat.
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
New JerseyS1Yes
ArkansasSNRYes
PennsylvaniaS2Yes
WisconsinSNRYes
ColoradoS3Yes
NebraskaSNRYes
IdahoSNRYes
OhioS2Yes
UtahS1Yes
New YorkS3Yes
South DakotaSNRYes
IllinoisS3Yes
OklahomaSNRYes
WashingtonSNRYes
IowaS4Yes
MissouriS3Yes
WyomingS2Yes
MassachusettsSNRYes
ArizonaS1Yes
KentuckySUYes
TexasSNRYes
MinnesotaSNRYes
MichiganSNRYes
MontanaS2Yes
North DakotaSNRYes
New MexicoSNRYes
IndianaSNRYes
KansasS3Yes
CanadaN3
ProvinceRankNative
ManitobaS2Yes
AlbertaS3Yes
SaskatchewanS3Yes
QuebecS1Yes
OntarioS3Yes
Plant Characteristics
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (2)
New Mexico (2)
AreaForestAcres
El InviernoSanta Fe National Forest29,927
LemitasSanta Fe National Forest8,129
References (3)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2002b. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 23. Magnoliophyta: Commelinidae (in part): Cyperaceae. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxiv + 608 pp.
  2. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  3. USDA, Agricultural Research Service. 1980. [Letter of December 3 to L. Dean Culwell containing the herbarium list for plant specimens on file at the Livestock and Range Research Station]. 13 pp.