Cyperus cyperoides (L.) O.Kuntze, Cyperaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Threat only at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Mariscus sumatrensis (Retz.) J. Raynal

Common name(s): [more details]

Kwara‘ae: baubau

Niuean: motie pako, pako

Samoan: ta‘ata‘a, tuise

Tahitian: mo‘u upo‘o taratara

Tongan: pakopako

Habit:  sedge

Description:  "Tufted herb, culms to about 50 cm tall, thickened at the base; leaves 10-20 cm long, 3-5 mm wide; inflorescence of several spikes, these up to 10-12 cm long though usually shorter; spikelets crowded, spreading at right angles to the rachis, lanceolate, 4-6 mm long"  (Stone, 1970; p. 168).

Habitat/ecology:  In Fiji, "a naturalized adventive, occurring infrequently between sea level and 900 m, on open grassy slopes and river banks, and in coconut plantations" (Smith, 1979; p. 256).  "Uncommon to occasional in disturbed places" (Whistler, 1988; p. 44). "In New Guinea, from low altitudes to at least 2000 m; troublesome as a weed at higher elevations" (Henty & Pritchard, 1975; p. 30).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  "Tropical Africa, tropical and subtropical Asia, Malesia, and northern Australia" (Smith, 1979; p. 256).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
American Samoa Manu‘a Islands	Ta‘u Island		Whistler, W. A. (1990) Vouchers cited: Garber 647, Yuncker 9132, Whistler 1404
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Alamagan Island	native	Ohba, T. (1994) (p. 65) Voucher cited: CBM-BS-59222
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Saipan Island	native	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (pp. 65-66)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Tinian Island	native	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (pp. 65-66)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Miti‘aro Island		McCormack, Gerald (2007)
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island	native	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (pp. 65-66)
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island		Glassman, S. F. (1952) (p. 121)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Taveuni Island	introduced invasive	Smith, Albert C. (1979) (p. 256) Voucher cited: DA 8899
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced invasive	Smith, Albert C. (1979) (p. 256) Vouchers cited: Greenwood 176, 176A; Gillespie 4178; DA 7300, 7310, 7312, 7852
French Polynesia Society Islands	Bora Bora Island		Fosberg, F. R. (1997) (p. 36)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Maupiti (Maurua) Island		Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, M.-H. (1987) (p. 17) Found once, not seen in 1985. Voucher cited: Raynal 17821
French Polynesia Society Islands	Raiatea (Havai) Island		Fosberg, F. R. (1997) (p. 36)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island		Fosberg, F. R. (1997) (p. 36)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	native	Stone, Benjamin C. (1970) (p. 168)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	native	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (pp. 65-66) Native per Stone, introduced per Fosberg.
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive	Strong, Mark T./Wagner, Warren L. (1997) (pp. 40-41) Voucher cited: Hosaka 1558 (BISH) Naturalized, but present status unknown.
Japan (offshore islands) Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands	Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands		Kato, Hidetoshi (2007)
New Caledonia New Caledonia	New Caledonia Islands		Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 94)
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced invasive	Sykes, W. R. (1970) (p. 227) Vouchers cited: CHR 150599, CHR 150600
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced	Whistler, W. A. (1988) (p. 44)
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced invasive	Yuncker, T. G. (1943) (p. 25) Vouchers cited: Yuncker 9670 (BISH), Yuncker 9739 (BISH) "A common weed along roadsides and in waste areas".
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. (2007)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Western Samoa Islands		Whistler, W. A. (1988) (p. 44)
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands		Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 94)
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands	native	Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. (1988) (p. 62)
Tonga Ha‘apai Group	Tofua Island		Whistler, W. A. (1992) (p. 86) Voucher cited: Scarth-Johnson 108
Tonga Tonga Islands	Tonga Islands		Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 69) "Occasional throughout Tonga".
Tonga Tongatapu Group	Tongatapu Island		Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 69) Voucher cited: Hürlmann 37
Tonga Vava‘u Group	Late Island	introduced	Sykes, W. R. (1981) (p. 352)
Tonga Vava‘u Group	Tafahi Island		Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 69) Voucher cited: Hürlmann 564
Tonga Vava‘u Group	Vava‘u Island		Whistler, W. A. (1992) (p. 86) Voucher cited: Crosby 173
Vanuatu New Hebrides Islands	Vanuatu (Republic of)		Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 94)
Wallis and Futuna Wallis and Futuna (Horne) Islands	Wallis and Futuna Islands		Whistler, W. A. (1988) (p. 44)

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. (2007)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Japan Ryukyu Islands	Ryukyu Islands	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Malaysia Malaysia	Malaysia (country of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Taiwan Taiwan	Taiwan Island	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)

Additional information:  Additional online information about Cyperus cyperoides is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Taxonomic information about Cyperus cyperoides may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Fosberg, F. R. 1997. Preliminary checklist of the flowering plants and ferns of the Society Islands. Ed. by David R. Stoddart. U. Cal. Berkeley.

Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, M.-H. 1987. Flora of Maupiti, Society Islands. The Smithsonian Institution. Atoll Research Bulletin 294:1-70.

Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce. 1987. A geographical checklist of the Micronesian monocotyledonae. Micronesica 20:1-126.

Glassman, S. F. 1952. The flora of Ponape. Bishop Mus. Bull. 209: 1-152.

Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. 1988. Flora of the Solomon Islands. Research Bulletin No. 7. Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, Honiara. 203 pp.

Henty, E. E./Pritchard, G. H. 1975. Weeds of New Guinea and their control. 2nd edition. Department of Forests, Division of Botany, Botany Bull. No. 7. Lae, Papua New Guinea. 180 pp.

Kato, Hidetoshi. 2007. Herbarium records of Makino Herbarium, Tokyo Metropolitan University. Personal communication.

McCormack, Gerald. 2007. Cook Islands biodiversity and natural heritage. On-line database.

Ohba, T. 1994. Flora and vegetation of the northern Mariana Islands, Micronesia. Biological Expedition to the Northern Mariana Islands, Micronesia. In A. Asakua & T. Furuki, eds.  Natural History Research, Special issue no. 1, Chiba, Japan: Natural History Museum and Institute. pp. 13-69.

Smith, Albert C. 1979. Flora Vitiensis nova: a new flora of Fiji. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Kauai, Hawaii. Volume 1. 494 pp.

Stone, Benjamin C. 1970. The flora of Guam. Micronesica 6:1-659.

Strong, Mark T./Wagner, Warren L. 1997. New and noteworthy Cyperaceae from the Hawaiian Islands. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Miller, Scott, E., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 1996. Part 1: Articles. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers. 48:37-50.

Swarbrick, John T. 1997. Weeds of the Pacific Islands. Technical paper no. 209. South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia. 124 pp.

Sykes, W. R. 1970. Contributions to the flora of Niue. New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research Bulletin 200, Wellington. 321 pp.

Sykes, W. R. 1981. The vegetation of Late, Tonga. Allertonia 2(6):323-353.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2007. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

Whistler, W. A. 1988. Checklist of the weed flora of western Polynesia. Technical Paper No. 194, South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia. 69 pp.

Whistler, W. A. 1990. The weeds of Manu‘a [unpublished checklist]. 18 pp.

Whistler, W. A. 1992. Flora of Tonga [unpublished checklist]. 107 pp.

Yuncker, T. G. 1943. The flora of Niue Island. Bishop Mus. Bull. 178. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 126 pp.

Yuncker, T. G. 1945. Plants of the Manua Islands. Bishop Mus. Bull. 184. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 73 pp.

Yuncker, T. G. 1959. Plants of Tonga. Bishop Museum Bull. 220. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 343 pp.