Common name: Poorland flat sedge, Summer sedge, Usumani hullu (Kannada), Kunna gorai (Tamil), Emend (Marathi)
Botanical name: Cyperus compressus Family: Cyperaceae (piperwort family)
This sedge is an annual up to 12" tall. It is unbranched, except
at the base, where it sends up many culms that are erect or sprawling. Each
culm is up to 10" long, medium green. Each leaf is up to 4" long, 1/8" across,
medium green and narrowly linear. The leaves are often folded upward along their
central veins. The withered remains of older leaves may persist at the base of
each culm. Each culm terminates in an inflorescence consisting of one or more
flowering spikes. Some spikes may be sessile, while others have short stalks
up to 2" long. At the base of the inflorescence, there are 2-4 leafy bracts up
to 4" long. These bracts resemble the leaves and spread outward. Each spike
consists of 3-7 flattened spikelets with smooth margins, while each spikelet
consists of 8-18 flowers. The scales of these flowers are arranged in 2
columnar ranks within the spikelet; they are flattened and closely appressed
together. Each spikelet is about 1/3" long and oblongoid in shape; its floral
scales are shiny cream colored
| Photographed in Garden of Five
Senses, Delhi. |
Identification credit: J. Jayanthi
|
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