Cyperus sanguinolentus Vahl, Cyperaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Pycreus sanguinolentus (Vahl) Nees

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: hong lin bian suo

English: purple-glume flat sedge

Habit:  sedge

Description:  "Annuals with fibrous roots or perennials with short rhizomes; culms tufted, forming small clumps 5-60 cm tall.  Leaves basal, shorter than to slightly longer than the culm, 0.5-2 mm wide, apex acute; sheaths brown.  Inflorescences umbelliform or occasionally contracted into a more or less lobed, head-like, umbelliform cluster, rays 2-5, 1-5 cm long, spikes densely bearing 4-20 spikelets; involucral bracts 3-4, unequal, the lower ones longer than the inflorescence; spikelets 10-24-flowered, oblong-elliptic, flattened, 6-15 mm long, 2-2.5 mm wide, obtuse, rachilla not winged; glumes dark purple to brownish black with broad pale margins, thick, membranous, ovate, 1.8-2 mm long, apex obtuse, the keel green, 3-nerved; stamens 2-3; stigmas 2.  Achenes dark brown, obovate to obovate-orbicular, lenticular, 1-1.3 mm long, contracted to a short-acuminate apex"  (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1427).

Habitat/ecology:  In Hawai‘i, "naturalized in wet sites, 910-920 m" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1427).  In China (native), "sparse forest margins, grasslands on mountain slopes, meadows, swamps, lake margins, sunny places at river margins or shallow water, valleys, wet places along trails, field margins, old fields; below 100-3400 m"  (Flora of China online).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  "Native to warm parts of the Old World" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1427). Africa, Asia and Australia (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 1427, 1901) As Pycreus sanguinolentus Voucher cited: Degener 20251 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive	Frohlich, Danielle/Lau, Alex (2008) (p. 5) "Wet, disturbed grass and sedge area". Voucher cited: S. Ching USArmy 55 (BISH)
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)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands		Merrill, Elmer D. (1925) (p. 110) In open wet places at low and medium altitudes, ascending to 1,600 m.

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)	New South Wales	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Australia Australia (continental)	Australia (continental)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia
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)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) As Pycreus sanguinolentus (Vahl) Nees ex C. B. Clarke
China China	Hong Kong	native	Wu, Te-lin (2001) (p. 318) As Pycreus sanguinolentus (Vahl) Nees. In paddy fields and grassland.
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Japan Japan	Japan	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku
North Korea North Korea	North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South Korea South Korea	South Korea (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)
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	introduced invasive	Healy, A. J./Edgar, E. (1980) (p. 190) "A weedy grassy plant of wet waste places, about lake and swamp margins, and in wet pastures".
Taiwan Taiwan Island	Taiwan Island	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) As Pycreus sanguinolentus (Vahl) Nees ex C. B. Clarke
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)

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)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi Naturalized

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