Coastal Plain Flat Sedge

The description is based on N. Indian specimens, which rarely show such compact clusters of spikes as the plants of S India.

Herbs, annual, cespitose. Culms 1–6(–25), trigonous to roundly trigonous, (0.5–)2–5(–9) cm × 0.2–0.4–(0.6) mm, glabrous. Leaves 1–6, V-shaped, 1–6 cm × 0.3–1 mm. Inflorescences: heads digitate, loosely ovoid, 3–18 × 3–26 mm; rays (0–)1–6(–8), 2.5–20(–30) mm; bracts 2–3(–5), horizontal to ascending at 45(–60)°, V-shaped, 2–60 × 0.3–1.2 mm. Spikelets (3–)10–20(–30), greenish to reddish brown, narrowly ellipsoid to oblong, 3–11 × (0.8–)1.2–1.5 mm; floral scales (3–)6–20(–28), laterally greenish to reddish brown, glossy, medially greenish to light reddish brown, strongly recurved, laterally ribless, medially strongly 3-ribbed, oblong-ovate, (0.8–)1–1.3 × 0.8–1(–1.2) mm, apex emarginate, cusp 0.6–1.2 mm. Flowers: stamens 2 or 3; anthers oblong-ovoid, 0.1(–0.2) mm; styles (0.2–)0.4–0.6 mm; stigmas 0.3–0.5 mm. Achenes brown, oblong-obovoid, (0.5–)0.6 × (0.3–)0.4 mm, base cuneate, apex blunt, surfaces coarsely papillose.

Annual, 4-12 cm, forming small tufts. Stem to 0.5 mm diam., obtusely trigonous, smooth. Leaves to as long as stems; sheaths up to 15 mm, yellowish or reddish brown, mouth margin slightly concave; ligule 0; blades up to 80 mm, less than 1 mm wide, margins inrolled, smooth, apex slightly scabrous. Inflorescence a small multiple spike, often reduced to a single cluster of spikes, up to 40 mm; primary branches 0-5, to 35 mm; lowest 2-3 bracts foliose, to 80 x 1.5 mm, spreading. Cluster of spikes 5-20 mm diam., with 4-20 digitately arranged spikes; spikes 2-12 x 2-3 mm, flat, with from 4 to more than 30 glumes; glume-like bract c. 1.5 mm, glume-like prophyll c. 1 mm, scarious, bi-nerved; rachis c. 0.2 mm wide, compressed, 4-angled, reddish brown or greenish, very narrowly winged, often re-branching at axil of prophyll; glumes 1.5-2 mm, truncate, 3-nerved, nerves prominent, ending in a reflexed arista, c. 0.5 mm, mid-nerve area green with some reddish dots, nerve-less sides wide, yellowish or reddish-brown. Stamens 3. Nut c. 0.5 mm, obovoid, trigonous, brown, papillose.

Pantropical.

Ala., Fla., Ga., S.C.; Mexico; Central America; South America.

Distribution: Pantropical; Africa S of Sahara to Namibia and Mozambique, Madagascar, India, Pakistan, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Australia, S and N America.

1000-1700 m

Fl. Per.: Oct.-December (Bhandari, l.c. 333. 1990).

Fruiting summer.

Damp, disturbed soils; 0–300m.

Open moist sites, river beds, rice fields.