Cyperus michelianus subsp. pygmaeus

Pygmy Sedge is a clustered, annual grass, 3-22 cm. Stem is 0.7-1.2 mm in diameter, trigonous, smooth. Leaves are up to as long as stem; sheaths up to 50 mm, wide, soft, grey-brown or often reddish. Leaves are up to 10 cm long, 1.5-2.5 mm wide, grey green, flat or folded, keeled, margins often recurved, smooth or scabrous, tip trigonous, pointed, scabrous. Inflorescence are 7-17 mm diameter, a regularly spherical head of 5-9 spherical, stalkless, spirally arranged partial inflorescences, tightly pressed together and separately indistinguishable; 4-7 bracts foliose, up to 70 mm, much exceeding length of inflorescence, first erect, finally reflexed. Partial inflorescences are formed by 10-40 stalkless spikes, tightly spirally arranged; spikes 2.5-3.5 x 0.8-1.4 mm, narrowly obovoid, compressed, with 20-28 glumes, glume-like bract long-awned, glumes distichously arranged, 1.4-1.6 mm, narrowly boat-shaped, mid-nerve green, prominent, raised, 1-3 nerved on both sides, margins scarious, brownish towards the tip. Pygmy Sedge is found from Africa to India, SE Asia to Australia. Flowering: June-September.