Rhynchospora gracillima Thwaites

Species

Angiosperms > Poales > Cyperaceae > Rhynchospora

Characteristics

Perennial (always?). Stems densely tufted, very slender, filiform, trigonous, smooth, leafy, 20-60 cm tall. Leaves shorter than the stems, setaceous, canaliculate, scaberulous at the apex, ½-1(-1½) wide. Inflorescence very loose, consisting of 1-3 distant, up to 4 cm long corymbiform anthelas subtended by short, setaceous, sheathing bracts; terminal anthela larger than the lateral ones, simple or subcompound; lateral anthelas simple, their peduncles exserted from the sheaths; rays capillary, often upcurved, smooth, subtended by setaceous bracteoles, 2-4 cm long. Spikelets solitary, long-peduncled, lanceolate, acute, 3-4-flowered, usually maturing 2 nuts, 5-7 by 1½-2 mm. Rachilla anfractuose (as in Schoenus). Glumes 7-8, spiral, membranous, broadly ovate, muticous or mucronulate, pale ferrugineous, purplish lineolate. Flowers bisexual, upper one(s) tabescent. Bristles absent. Stamens 2-3 (?); anthers 1½-2¼ mm. Style halfway bifid. Style-base much depressed, saddle-shaped, bilobed, almost as broad as the nut, c. ¼ mm high. Nut broadly obovoid, truncate at the apex, shortly stipitate, dorsiventrally compressed, biconvex, deeply transversely wavy-ridged, greyish white, 1¼-1½ mm long and wide; epidermal cells longitudinally linear.
More
Annuals or short-lived perennials. Culms densely tufted, 20-60 cm tall, filiform, 3-angled, smooth. Leaves shorter than culm; leaf blade setaceous, 0.5-1 mm wide, canaliculate, apex scabrous. Involucral bracts setaceous, sheathing. Inflorescences laxly paniculate, consisting of 1-3 corymbiform anthelae to 4 cm; terminal anthela longer than lateral ones, simple or subcompound; lateral anthelae simple, with peduncles exserted from sheaths; rays capillary, 2-4 cm, often upcurved, smooth, subtended by setaceous bractlets. Spikelets solitary, narrowly ovoid, 3-or 4-flowered, apex acute; peduncle long. Glumes 7 or 8, pale rust-colored with purplish lines, spirally imbricate, broadly ovate, membranous, muticous. Perianth bristles absent. Stamens 2; anthers 1.5-2.3 mm. Style ca. 2.3 mm, base much depressed, saddle-shaped, 2-lobed, and almost as broad as nutlet, apex 2-cleft to middle. Nutlet grayish white, shortly stipitate, broadly obovoid, 1.3-1.5 × 1.3-1.5 mm, biconvex, deeply transversely wavy ridged, with longitudinally linear epidermal cells, apex truncate. Fl. and fr. Sep-Oct.
Annuals or short-lived perennials. Culms densely tufted, 20-60 cm tall, filiform, 3-angled, smooth. Leaves shorter than culm; leaf blade setaceous, 0.5-1 mm wide, canaliculate, apex scabrous. Involucral bracts setaceous, sheathing. Inflorescences laxly paniculate, consisting of 1-3 corymbiform anthelae to 4 cm; terminal anthela longer than lateral ones, simple or subcompound; lateral anthelae simple, with peduncles exserted from sheaths; rays capillary, 2-4 cm, often upcurved, smooth, subtended by setaceous bractlets. Spikelets solitary, narrowly ovoid, 3-or 4-flowered, apex acute; peduncle long. Glumes 7 or 8, pale rust-colored with purplish lines, spirally imbricate, broadly ovate, membranous, muticous. Perianth bristles absent. Stamens 2; anthers 1.5-2.3 mm. Style ca. 2.3 mm, base much depressed, saddle-shaped, 2-lobed, and almost as broad as nutlet, apex 2-cleft to middle. Nutlet grayish white, shortly stipitate, broadly obovoid, 1.3-1.5 x 1.3-1.5 mm, biconvex, deeply transversely wavy ridged, with longitudinally linear epidermal cells, apex truncate.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 0.2 - 0.6
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color -
Blooming months -
Fruit color -
Fruiting months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

In moist localities: on grassy hills, in secondary forests, 900-1000 m.
Light -
Soil humidity 6-8
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

Rhynchospora gracillima world distribution map, present in Andorra, Australia, Benin, Central African Republic, China, Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Indonesia, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritius, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Senegal, eSwatini, Togo, Thailand, Tanzania, United Republic of, Uganda, United States of America, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe

Conservation status

Rhynchospora gracillima threat status: Least Concern

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:312198-1
WFO ID wfo-0000516938
COL ID 4ST5B
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Rhynchospora gracillima

Lower taxons

Rhynchospora gracillima subsp. gracillima Rhynchospora gracillima subsp. subquadrata