Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Monocots: Commelinids: Poales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Cyperus retrofractus
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
The wide-spreading inflorescence of Rough Flatsedge looks like a fireworks display. The 4-13 spikes are ob-cylindrical (widest at tip) and occur at the ends of very long stalks. It is similar to C. plukenetii, but the spikes are twice as long (or more). It is also similar to C. hystricinus, but differs in the rather scabrous (rough to touch) stems (vs. smooth), per Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
Visit Flora of North America to view their excellent illustration comparing spikes of C. retrofractus to C. hystricinus, C. lancastriensis, C. plukenetii, C. refractus....
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Cyperus retrofractus
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Cyperus retrofractus
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 23 (2002)
Cyperus retrofractus
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Cyperus retrofractus
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 030-01-033:
Cyperus dipsaciformis FAMILY Cyperaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Britton & Brown Illus Flora of Northeast US & adjacent Canada (Gleason, 1952)
Cyperus retrofractus var. dipsaciformis
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Cyperus dipsaciformis
COMMON NAME:
Rough Flatsedge
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_cyre4_001_pvd
)
JK Marlow jkm230706_4218
July Pickens County SC
Glassy Mountain Heritage Preserve
Rays glabrous or rarely w a few hairs just below spike; longest ray shorter than longest bract, per Weakley's Flora (2023).
)
JK Marlow jkm230706_4218b
July Pickens County SC
Glassy Mountain Heritage Preserve
Spikes strongly narrowed to the base; all but the uppermost spikelets strongly reflexed, per Weakley's Flora (2023).
)
JK Marlow jkm230706_4221
July Pickens County SC
Glassy Mountain Heritage Preserve
)
JK Marlow jkm230905_5189
September Pickens County SC
Glassy Mountain Heritage Preserve
)
JK Marlow jkm230905_5207
September Pickens County SC
Glassy Mountain Heritage Preserve
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Cyperus retrofractus
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Cyperus retrofractus
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Cyperus retrofractus
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 23
Cyperus retrofractus
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Cyperus retrofractus
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 030-01-033:
Cyperus dipsaciformis
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Britton & Brown Illus Flora of Northeast US & adjacent Canada (Gleason, 1952)
Cyperus retrofractus var. dipsaciformis
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Cyperus dipsaciformis
4453
Grass, Sedge, or Rush
Perennial
Habitat: Dry sandy or rocky woodlands and fields, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Common (uncommon in GA) (uncommon in NC Coastal Plain)
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Simple
RHIZOMES? STOLONS?
Cespitose [growing in dense tufts, clumping]
FLOWER:
Summer/Fall
Superior ovary
Bisexual
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".