Pycreus pumilus

Reported from Punjab by R.R.Stewart (l.c. as Cyperus pumilus), from Sind by C.B.Clarke (l.c. as Pycreus nitens) and by Kükenthal (l.c.).

Annual, 4-10 cm, forming small tufts. Roots fibrous. Stem 0.3-0.5 mm diam., trigonous, smooth. Leaves shorter than the stem; sheaths up to c. 20 mm, soft, green or grey-green, mouth margin slightly concave; blades up to 70 x 0.5-1.5 mm, flat or folded, slightly keeled, margins narrowly recurved, smooth, apex long, trigonous, acute, scabrous. Inflorescence a single cluster of spikes, or more often a small anthelodium, with 1-4 elongated primary branches up to 25 mm; cluster of spikes 10-20 mm diam., of 5-12 digitately arranged spikes; bracts 1-3 foliose, up to 50 mm, spreading; spikes 4-10 x 2-3 mm, with 12-40 glumes; glume-like bract c. 1.3 mm, glume-like prophyll c. 1 mm; rachis c. 0.5 mm diam., almost quadrangular, internodes c. 0.7 mm, with triangular, scarious appendages as remains of fallen glumes; glumes c. 1.6 mm, widely cymbiform, mid-nerve green, later brown, mucro c. 0.4 mm, apex obtuse, sides with 1-2 weak nerves, yellow-brown, margins scarious. Stamens 1. Nut 0.6-0.7 x 0.3-0.4 mm, lenticular, obovoid or ellipsoid, edges rounded, yellowish brown to dark brown or sometimes white, finely reticulate with conspicuous papilla in each areole.

Nepal, India, Indo-China, S.E. China, Malaysia.

Distribution: From Pakistan and NW India to S. China and Taiwan, Malesia, N. Australia, also in W Indies and Florida.

200-700 m

Fl. Per.: September.

Waste lands, rice fields, along shore-lines.

Cyperus pumilus L., Cent. Pl. 2: 6. 1756; C. nitens Retz., Observ. Bot. 5: 13. 1789. Pycreus nitens (Retz.) Nees, N. Acta Nat. Cur. 19, Suppl. 1: 53. 1843; C.B.Clarke in Hookf., Fl. Brit. Ind. 6: 591. 1893; R.R.Stewart, l.c. 91; Kük., in Engler, Pflanzenr. IV.20, 101: fig. 44, A-E. 1936. Kern, in Van Steenis, Fl. Males., 7,3: fig. 66. 1974.