Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER)

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Cyperus distans
L. f., Cyperaceae
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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: shu sui suo cao

English: piedmont flat sedge, slender cyperus

Habit:  sedge

Description:  "Perennial, with small cormlike rhizome; culms solitary or few together, often rather slender, 35-100 cm tall, triquetrous, thickened at base; leaves shorter than culm; blades linear, 4-6 mm broad, weakly folded, herbaceous; sheaths rather elongated, light brown; corymb compound to decompound; leafy bracts 4-6, the lower 2 or 3 surpassing the corymb; rays 5-10, 1-15 cm long, patent; secondary corymbs with sort raylets or bearing 8-20 spikelets; spikelets divergent, linear, 8-40 mm long, 0.8-1 mm broad, cylindric, 8-32-flowered; glumes distantly disposed on a weakly zigzag rhachilla, elliptic, 1.8-2 mm long, obtuse at apex, membranous, sanguineous-brown on both sides, 3-5-nerved near keel, white-hyaline on upper margin, the keel greenish, hardly reaching the glume apex, the base decurrent along rhachilla, forming caducous white-hyaline wings; achenes oblong to oblong-elliptic, 3-sided, about 2/3 as long as glume, maturing dark brown, minutely punctulate; style short; stigmas 3; stamens 3" (Smith, 1979; pp. 247-248).

Habitat/ecology:  "A pantropical sedge occurring in wet grasslands and along waysides" (Wiggins & Porter, 1971; p. 802).

In Fiji, "probably a naturalized adventive...where it occurs near sea level on roadsides and cultivated land and in pastures" (Smith, 1979; pp. 247-248). In Papua New Guinea, "A weed of  roadsides, gardens, plantations and pastures; more troublesome in the wetter highland areas" (Henty & Pritchard, 1975; p. 31).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Pantropical.

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. &
Island group
Location Cited status &
Cited as invasive &
Cited as cultivated &
Cited as aboriginal introduction?
Reference &
Comments
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands)
Galápagos Islands
Galápagos Islands native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Fiji
Fiji Islands
Viti Levu Island introduced
invasive
Smith, Albert C. (1979) (pp. 247-248)
Vouchers cited: Greenwood 756, DA 8449, DA 9931, DA 8683, DA 3806, DA 7677, DA 8612, Greenwood 1104, DA 428
Guam
Guam Island
Guam Island   Wagner, W. L./ Herbst, D. R./Weitzman, A./Lorence, D.H. (2013)
Palau
Palau (Belau ) (main island group)
Babeldaob Island native
Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 66)
Palau
Palau (Belau ) (main island group)
Koror (Oreor) Island native
Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 66)
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)
Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island) invasive
Henty, E. E./Pritchard, G. H. (1975) (p. 31)
In New Guinea, widespread, from low altitudes to over 2000 m.
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)
Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island) native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Philippines
Philippine Islands
Philippine Islands native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands native
Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. (1988) (p. 62)
Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. &
Island group
Location Cited status &
Cited as invasive &
Cited as cultivated &
Cited as aboriginal introduction?
Reference &
Comments
Australia
Australia (continental)
Queensland native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia (Kingdom of) native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America
Central America (Pacific rim)
Honduras (Republic of) native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America
Central America (Pacific rim)
Nicaragua (Republic of) native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
China
China
China (People's Republic of) native
Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013)
Forests, swamps, grasslands, slightly dry or wet places on slopes, river margins, along trails; near sea level to 1800 m. Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Xisha Qundao, Yunnan.
China
China
Hong Kong native
Wu, Te-lin (2001) (p. 309)
In paddy fields and other wet places.
Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia (Republic of) native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Malaysia
Malaysia
Malaysia (country of) native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Mexico
Mexico
Mexico (United Mexican States) native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Guerrero
Singapore
Singapore
Singapore (Republic of) uncertain if introduced
invasive
Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 31)
Weed of uncertain origin
South America (Pacific rim)
South America (Pacific rim)
Colombia native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South America (Pacific rim)
South America (Pacific rim)
Ecuador (Republic of) (continental) native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South America (Pacific rim)
South America (Pacific rim)
Perú (Republic of) native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Taiwan
Taiwan Island
Taiwan Island native
Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013)
Forests, swamps, grasslands, slightly dry or wet places on slopes, river margins, along trails; near sea level to 1800 m.
Thailand
Thailand
Thailand (Kingdom of) native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam (Socialist Republic of) native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. &
Island group
Location Cited status &
Cited as invasive &
Cited as cultivated &
Cited as aboriginal introduction?
Reference &
Comments
Comoros
Comoro Islands
Comoro Islands native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
La Réunion (France)
La Réunion Island
La Réunion Island native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Mauritius
Mautitius Islands (Mauritius and Rodrigues)
Mauritius Island native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Seychelles
Seychelles Islands
Seychelles Islands native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. &
Island group
Location Cited status &
Cited as invasive &
Cited as cultivated &
Cited as aboriginal introduction?
Reference &
Comments
United States (continental except west coast)
United States (other states)
United States (other states) native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
North Carolina
United States (continental except west coast)
United States (other states)
USA (Florida) native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Cyperus distans, please let us know.


Need more info? Have questions? Comments? Information to contribute? Contact PIER! (pier@hear.org)

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This page was created on 3 AUG 2002 and was last updated on 21 JUN 2010.