Cyperus exaltatus Retz.

Cyperus exaltatus is polymorphic and requires revision. Description is based primarily on specimens from NW India, which poorly correspond to the type specimen from S India. The illustrations cited may not represent characteristic race.

Perennial, to more than 1 m. Rhizome short, horizontal or ascending. Stem 3-5 mm diam., trigonous, smooth. Leaves up to as long as stem; sheaths to 30 cm, brown, green or yellowish green, soft, mouth margin slightly concave; blades 50 cm or longer, 3-10 mm wide, flat or folded, keeled, margins recurved, smooth or scabrous, apex trigonous, barbed. Inflorescence a compound anthelodium, conical, to 30 cm; bracts up to 7, leaf-like, 2-4, up to more than 50 cm long, up to 10 mm wide; primary branches 8-12, up to 20 cm, tubular prophyll up to 30 mm, bi-nerved, often with two aristas up to 10 mm; secondary anthelodia up to 10 cm, with up to more than 10 secondary branches, angle between primary and secondary branches sharp, with several foliose bracts, shorter than anthelodium; some primary and most secondary branches ending with cluster of spikes, sometimes with small tertiary anthelodia; cluster of spikes 25-50 x 10-20 mm, with 20-60 spirally aranged spikes; spikes 5-14 mm x 1.5-2 mm, compressed, with 8-34 glumes; glume-like bract, 0.8-1.3 mm, sometimes filiform, up to 10 mm; glume-like prophyll, c. 1.5 mm, bi-nerved; glumes c. 1.8 mm, keeled, midnerve strong, green, mucro c. 0.3 mm, sides brown or dark brown, with 2-3 rather distinct nerves, glossy, margins narrowly scarious; rachis flat, quadrangular, c. 0.3 mm wide, internodes 0.3-0.5 mm, narrowly winged. Nut c. 0.5 x 0.3 mm, ellipsoid or ovoid, trigonous, whitish or yellowish brown, finely reticulate or almost smooth.

Distribution: In tropical Africa, in SE Asia from India to Japan and southwards to southern Australia.

Fl. Per.: September.

Ditches, irrigation channels, rice fields.

Cyperus exaltatus is a species of sedge that is native to parts of the Africa, Asia, Argentina and Australia.