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Isolepis costata Hochst. ex A.Rich.

Species

Angiosperms > Poales > Cyperaceae > Isolepis

Characteristics

Perennial herb, tufted, 0.10-0.65 m high. Leaf blades much reduced, < 5 mm long. Culm 0.3-1.3 mm in diam. Inflorescence a terminal (pseudolateral when young) head of 1-25 spikelets, frequently pseudo-viviparous, culms bending to substrate and rooting from head in stolon-like fashion. Subtending bract very short, glume-like or with longer blade. Spikelets ovate, 1.4-5.5 x 0.7-2.1 mm, 4-31-flowered. Glumes boatshaped, 1.0-2.1 x 0.4-0.9 mm, keel non-excurrent or excurrent into minute point. Style branches 3. Flowering time Sept.-Feb. Nutlet broadly elliptical, 0.7-1.3 x 0.4-0.8 mm, 3-angled, pearl-white, surface trabeculate.
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Tufted, perennial herb, up to 500 mm high. Leaves basal leaf sheaths truncate, otherwise plants leafless. Flowers: inflorescence compact head of 10 or more spikelets, overtopped by a bract; glumes ovate, obtuse, green keeled, ferruginous with a pale membranous margin; Sep.-Jan. Fruit a white nutlet, surface trabeculate.
Annual herb, up to 300 mm tall. Stems slender, each bearing a head of 1-12 spikelets. Leaves absent. Nut ellipsoid, ribbed. Glumes dull brown.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 0.3 - 0.5
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Nitrogen fixer -
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Environment

Light -
Soil humidity 3-8
Soil texture -
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 8-12

Usage

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

Cultivation

Mode -
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Distribution

Isolepis costata world distribution map, present in Burkina Faso, Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Namibia, Rwanda, Sudan, eSwatini, Tanzania, United Republic of, Uganda, South Africa, and Zimbabwe

Conservation status

Isolepis costata threat status: Least Concern

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:309266-1
WFO ID wfo-0000448517
COL ID 3Q9G3
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Isolepis costata Ficinia costata Scirpus macer Scirpus multicostatus Scirpus costatus Isolepis costata var. macra Isolepis setacea var. abyssinica Scirpus costatus var. macer
WorldFloraDB 2024