Fimbristylis aphylla Steud.

Species

Angiosperms > Poales > Cyperaceae > Fimbristylis

Characteristics

Glabrous, densely tufted perennial. Stems stiffly erect, prominently 4-5-angled, almost winged, smooth or slightly scabrid just below the inflores-cence, 30-60(-125) cm by (1-)2-3 mm. Leaves of the flowering stems reduced to 3 or 4 rather loose, bladeless, obliquely truncate, up to 20 cm long sheaths; those of the sterile shoots well developed, rather abruptly acuminate, with prominent midrib and scabrid margins, up to 30 cm by 2-4 mm; ligule absent. Inflorescence compound or decompound, open, with many spikelets, (2-)4-10 cm long and wide. Involucral bracts 2-3, much shorter than the inflorescence, 1-2 cm long. Primary rays obliquely spreading, smooth, up to 7 cm. Spikelets solitary, ovoid, terete, acute, densely many-flowered, on scabrid peduncles, 2½-3½ by 1½-2 mm; rachilla winged. Glumes spiral, membranous, ovate, obtuse, muticous, scarcely keeled, c. ½ by 1 mm. Stamens 1-2; anthers oblong-linear, ½ m. Style triquetrous, slightly thickened towards the base, glabrous, or ciliate at the top, ¾-1 mm long; stigmas 3, about as long as the style. Nut obtusely trigonous, with somewhat incrassate angles, obovoid, scarcely umbonulate, shortly stipitate, densely ver-ruculose, finely transversely lineolate by the trans-versely linear epidermal cells in 4-6 vertical rows on each face, whitish or stramineous, 7/10-¾ by 2/5-½ mm.
More
Perennials. Rhizomes short, woody. Culms densely tufted, 30-100 cm tall, slender, 5-angled, smooth, bearing a few bladeless sheaths at base. Basal leaf sheaths cylindric, margin brown and membranous, apically attenuate, mouth obliquely truncate. Leaves on vegetative shoots often with only blades; leaf blade linear, margins involute. Involucral bracts 3-5, needlelike, 0.6-2.5 cm, much shorter than inflorescence, margin scabrid. Inflorescence a decompound anthela, spreading; rays 5-8, to 7 cm, slender. Spikelets solitary, oblong to ellipsoid, 2.5-7 × 1.2-3 mm. Glumes densely spirally imbricate, rust-colored to yellowish brown, broadly ovate to subelliptic, ca. 2.5 mm, membranous, prominently 3-veined forming an abaxial keel, veins yellow to greenish yellow and often dark brown between lateral veins, margin paler, apex obtuse to rounded and apiculate. Stamens 3; anthers linear. Style short and flat, not ciliate, basally slightly inflated; stigmas 3, longer than style, densely ciliate. Nutlet pale brown, shortly stipitate, obovoid, 0.6-0.8 mm, 3-sided, transversely wavy verruculose. Fl. Jul, fr. Dec.
Cespitose perennial with 4-5-angular stem; leaves often reduced to their sheath, or with a flat eligulate lamina; spikelets oblong, c. 3.5 x 1.75 mm; glumes slightly keeled, rounded at the top; fruit warty.
Widely spreading panicles often broader than long with light chestnut elliptic-lanceolate spikelets and short bracts
Acutely quadrangular almost winged stems up to 75 cm. high
The leaf-blades much reduced, scarcely reaching 1 cm. long
Stout tufted perennial
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 0.53 - 0.88
Root system rhizome
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color -
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color -
Fruiting months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

In open wet places, swamps, at medium altitudes (500-1500 m).
More
Swamps and very damp ground in savanna and near rivers, etc.
Light -
Soil humidity 7-9
Soil texture -
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 9-12

Usage

Uses -
Edible -
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Mode -
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Distribution

Fimbristylis aphylla world distribution map, present in Andorra, Burkina Faso, Bangladesh, Central African Republic, China, Congo, Ghana, Indonesia, India, Liberia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Philippines, Sierra Leone, Thailand, Viet Nam, South Africa, and Zambia

Conservation status

Fimbristylis aphylla threat status: Least Concern

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:307695-1
WFO ID wfo-0000418730
COL ID 6J2KW
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Fimbristylis testui Fimbristylis aphylla Fimbristylis vanderystii Fimbristylis aphylla var. gracilis Fimbristylis quadrangularis var. crassa Fimbristylis globulosa var. aphylla Fimbristylis quinquangularis var. testui Fimbristylis aphylla var. aphylla