Cyperus haspan L., Cyperaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Cyperus halpan L.

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: qi pan suo cao

English: sharp edge sedge, sheathed cyperus

Japanese: ko-azegayatsuri

Habit:  sedge

Description:  "Perennial, with red-purple fibrous roots; rhizomes slender, horizontal, short or elongated; culms solitary and arranged in a row along an elongated rhizome or tufted with a short rhizome, erect, mostly 10-50 cm tall, slender, trigonous, rather soft; leaves as a rule reduced to bladeless sheaths at base of culms; sheaths 2-10 cm long, pale green and usually tinged with brown, purple-brown, or red-purple; blades occasionally developing especially in relatively dry habitats, but short; corymbs compound or simple, lax, 8-15 cm long and broad; rays several, unequal, the longer ones 5-10 cm long, slender, the raylets, if developing, few, up to 2 cm long; leafy bracts 1 or 2, the longer one equaling to slightly shorter than corymb; spikelets digitately disposed at apices of rays or raylets, 4-6 together, linear-oblong, obtuse-tipped, flattened, 5-15 mm long, 1-1.5 mm broad, subdensely 10-28-flowered, the wingless rhachilla completely hidden by densely disposed glumes; glumes elliptic to lance-elliptic, ovate, about 1.5 mm long, membranous, pale brownish and often tinged or variegated with rusty-brown or purple-brown, slenderly 3-nerved, the greenish keel ending in a short mucro; achenes obovate, 3-sided, about 0.5 mm long, cream-yellow, tuberculate; style 1.5 times as long as achene; stigmas 3; stamens 3-1"  (Smith, 1979; pp. 252-253).

Habitat/ecology:  In Fiji, "occurs from near sea level to 160 m as a naturalized adventive, in wet open places, swamps, pastures, creek banks, and rice fields" (Smith, 1979; pp. 252-253).  In Hawai‘i, "naturalized in wet, disturbed sites, especially in bogs, wet forest, and open, muddy areas, 3-1,700 m" (Wagner et al., 1999; pp. 1397-1398, 1899).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Subtropical and tropical regions worldwide.

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Federated States of Micronesia Chuuk Islands	Chuuk Islands		Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 90)
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island	native	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 66)
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island	introduced invasive	Herrera, Katherine/Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy/Balick, Michael J. (2010) (p. 41) Naturalized
Federated States of Micronesia Yap Islands	Ifalik (Ifaluk) Atoll	native	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 66)
Federated States of Micronesia Yap Islands	Woleai Atoll	native	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 66)
Federated States of Micronesia Yap Islands	Yap (Waqab) Island	native	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 66)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Vanua Levu Island	introduced invasive	Smith, Albert C. (1979) (pp. 252-253) Vouchers cited: DA 5021, DA 10461, Degener & Ordonez 14105
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced invasive	Smith, Albert C. (1979) (pp. 252-253) Vouchers cited: Smith 9627, DA 9180 (McKee 2744), DA 7623, DA 7407, Greenwood 1134, DA 10612, Meebold 17104
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 1396-1398)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 1396-1398) Voucher cited: Stone 1665 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Lāna‘i Island	introduced invasive	Oppenheimer, Hank (2008) (p. 27) Voucher cited: Oppenheimer & J. Perlman H50614 (BISH, PTBG)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 1396-1398)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Moloka‘i Island	introduced invasive	Hughes, Guy D'Oyly (1995) (p. 4) Voucher cited: Hughes 15 (BISH) Occasional in very wet forest areas to at least 800 m elevation.
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive	Wood, K. R. (2006) (p. 17) Voucher cited: K.R. Wood & J. Lau 10637 (PTBG)
New Caledonia New Caledonia	New Caledonia Islands		Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 90)
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced invasive	Tassin, Jacques (2005)
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 47) Vouchers cited: MacKee 2337, Raynal 16440, MacKee 27981, MacKee 38160, Hoff 3521 (NOU)
Palau Palau (main island group)	Babeldaob Island	native	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 66)
Palau Palau (main island group)	Babeldaob Island		Beleu National Museum (Republic of Palau. Koror.) (1978) (voucher ID: BNM 1058) Taxon name on voucher: Cyperus halpan L.
Palau Palau (main island group)	Koror Island	native	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 66)
Palau Palau (main island group)	Koror Island	native	Space, James C./Lorence, David H./LaRosa, Anne Marie (2009) (p. Field notes)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands		Waterhouse, D. F. (1993) (p. 64)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands		Merrill, Elmer D. (1925) (pp. 105-106) In open wet places; a common and characteristic rice paddy weed.

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)	Northern Territory		Holm, Leroy/Doll, Jerry/Holm, Eric/Pancho, Jaun/Herberger, James (1997) (p. 270)
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland		Holm, Leroy/Doll, Jerry/Holm, Eric/Pancho, Jaun/Herberger, James (1997) (p. 270)
Cambodia Cambodia	Cambodia (Kingdom of)		Waterhouse, D. F. (1993) (p. 64)
China China	China (People's Republic of)		Holm, Leroy/Doll, Jerry/Holm, Eric/Pancho, Jaun/Herberger, James (1997) (p. 270)
China China	Hong Kong	native	Wu, Te-lin (2001) (pp. 309-310) As Cyperus halpan L. In wet places and paddy fields.
Honduras Honduras	Honduras (Republic of)		Holm, Leroy/Doll, Jerry/Holm, Eric/Pancho, Jaun/Herberger, James (1997) (pp. 270-271)
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)		Waterhouse, D. F. (1993) (p. 64)
Japan Japan	Japan (country)		Holm, Leroy/Doll, Jerry/Holm, Eric/Pancho, Jaun/Herberger, James (1997) (p. 270)
South Korea South Korea	South Korea (Republic of)		Holm, Leroy/Doll, Jerry/Holm, Eric/Pancho, Jaun/Herberger, James (1997) (p. 270)
Malaysia Malaysia	Malaysia (country of)		Waterhouse, D. F. (1993) (p. 64)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)		Hafliger, E. (1092) (p. 19)
Perú Perú	Perú (Republic of)		Holm, Leroy/Doll, Jerry/Holm, Eric/Pancho, Jaun/Herberger, James (1997) (p. 270)
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)		Waterhouse, D. F. (1993) (p. 64)
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
Taiwan Taiwan	Taiwan Island		Holm, Leroy/Doll, Jerry/Holm, Eric/Pancho, Jaun/Herberger, James (1997) (p. 270)
Thailand Thailand	Thailand (Kingdom of)		Waterhouse, D. F. (1993) (p. 64)
Vietnam Vietnam	Vietnam (Socialist Republic of)		Waterhouse, D. F. (1993) (p. 64)

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

Information about Cyperus haspan as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

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

References:

Beleu National Museum (Republic of Palau. Koror.). 1978. Voucher specimen #BNM1058(Canfield, J.E. 391).

Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. 2009. A checklist of the total vascular plant flora of Singapore: native, naturalised and cultivated species. Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, National University of Singapore. 273 pp.

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

Hafliger, E. 1092. Monocot Weeds 3. CIBA-GEIGY Ltd., Basle, Switzerland. 132 pp. plus plates.

Herrera, Katherine/Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy/Balick, Michael J. 2010. Checklist of the vascular plants of Pohnpei with local names and uses. Allertonia, in press. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Hawai‘i. 146 pp.

Holm, Leroy/Doll, Jerry/Holm, Eric/Pancho, Jaun/Herberger, James. 1997. World weeds: natural histories and distribution. John Wiley & Sons. 1129 pp.

Hughes, Guy D'Oyly. 1995. New Hawaiian plant records II. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Miller, Scott, E., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 1994. Part 2: Notes. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers. 42:1-10.

MacKee, H. S. 1994. Catalogue des plantes introduites et cultivées en Nouvelle-Calédonie. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, 164 p.

Merrill, Elmer D. 1925. An enumeration of Philippine flowering plants, vol. 1 [reprint]. Bureau of Printing, Manila. 463 pp.

Oppenheimer, Hank. 2008. New Hawaiian plant records for 2007. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Eldredge, Lucias G., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 2007. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers 100:22-38.

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

Space, James C./Lorence, David H./LaRosa, Anne Marie. 2009. Report to the Republic of Palau: 2008 update on Invasive Plant Species. USDA Forest Service, Hilo, Hawai‘i. 227 pp.

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

Tassin, Jacques. 2005. Jacques Tassin (IAC-CIRAD), personal communication.

Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. 1999. Manual of the flowering plants of Hawaii. Revised edition. Bernice P. Bishop Museum special publication. University of Hawai‘i Press/Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 1919 pp. (two volumes).

Waterhouse, D. F. 1993. The major arthropod pests and weeds of agriculture in Southeast Asia. The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, Canberra. 141 pp.

Wood, K. R. 2006. New plant records and rediscoveries within the Hawaiian Islands. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Eldredge, Lucias G., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 2004-2005. Part 2: Notes. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers 88:15-19.

Wu, Te-lin. 2001. Check List of Hong Kong Plants. Hong Kong Herbarium and the South China Institute of Botany. Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department Bulletin 1 (revised). 384 pp.

Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong. 2011. Flora of China (online resource).