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Cyperus odoratus L.
| Family Name: | Cyperaceae |
| Synonyms: | Torulinium odoratum (L.) S.S.Hooper, Cyperus ferax Rich., Mariscus ferax (Rich.) C.B.Clarke, |
| Common Name: | Fragrant Flatsedge, Rusty Flatsedge, Flat Sedge |
Cyperus odoratus is a fast-growing, short-lived sedge that is native to the neotropics, tropical Africa, India, Bangladesh, southeast China, Korea, & Japan. Introduced to Singapore, it has linear leaves up to 30 cm long and simple to compound inflorescences of brown-bracted, reduced flowers. As the common name suggests, all parts of the plant have a pleasant smell.
Name
Classifications and Characteristics
| Plant Division | Angiosperms (Flowering Seed Plants) (Monocotyledon) |
|---|---|
| Plant Growth Form | Grass or Grass-like Plant (Sedge (Cyperaceae)) |
| Lifespan (in Singapore) | Annual, Semi-Annual / Annual-Like |
| Mode of Nutrition | Autotrophic |
| Plant Shape | Grassy |
| Maximum Height | 10 cm to 76 cm |
Biogeography
| Native Distribution | Canada, United States, Mexico, Caribbean Islands, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Central Chile, Northern Argentina, Uruguay, Galápagos, Gulf of Guinea Islands, West Tropical Africa (Mauritania, Senegal, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Benin, Nigeria), West-Central Tropical Africa (Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo, DR Congo), Angola, Madagascar, Transcaucasus, Iraq, Iran, India, Bangladesh, Andaman Islands, Nicobar Islands, China Southeast, Taiwan, Korea, Japan (including Ryukyu Islands, Volcano Islands, and Bonin Islands) Tropical Africa, India, Bangladesh, China Southeast, Korea, & Japan. |
|---|---|
| Native Habitat | Terrestrial (Grassland / Savannah/ Scrubland, Agricultural Land), Shoreline (Sandy Beach) |
| Preferred Climate Zone | Tropical, Temperate |
| Local Conservation Status | Non-native (Spontaneous (Naturalised)) |
Description and Ethnobotany
| Growth Form | It is an annual or short-lived perennial sedge, reaching 0.3–1 m tall. |
|---|---|
| Foliage | The leaves are linear, measuring up to 30 cm long × 4–12 mm wide. The leaf sheaths are brownish or purplish-brown, reaching up to 30 cm in length. |
| Stems | The culms (aboveground stems of grasses and grass-like monocots) are either singular or a few, each reaching 30–100 cm long × 3–6 mm in diameter and triquetrous (with three sharp angles) in cross-section. |
| Flowers | The umbel-like inflorescence is simple to compound, open to rather congested, and made of several cylindrical spikes (a type of inflorescence in which the stalkless flowers are borne along a central axis). Each spike is composed of 20–60 linear spikelets, which are then made up of a single flower. The flowers are known as florets, consisting of heavily reduced petals and sepals, three anthers, and three stigmas, all subtended by 1–2 distichous (arranged alternately in two ranks) glumes (scale-like bracts at the base of florets in sedges). The umbel-like inflorescence is subtended by 6–8, green, involucral bracts, each measuring up to 50 cm long. The flowering stem is hollow and triquetrous in cross-section. |
| Fruit | The fruit is a cylindrical nutlet (achenes in literature), trigonous (triangular in cross-section), up to 1.5–2 mm long × 0.5–0.7 mm wide, and dusky brown. |
| Habitat | It can be found along grasslands, roadsides, shorelines, and wet or muddy sites, generally in low elevations, including marshes, tidal marshes, ditches, and rice fields. In Singapore, they have been recorded along the old Railway tracks, Sembawang, and Sungei Tengah. |
| Etymology | The genus Cyperus is derived from the Greek name for a sedge. The specific epithet odoratus means "with smell", probably referring to the pleasant smell of the whole plant. |
Plant Care and Propagation
| Light Preference | Full Sun, Semi-Shade |
|---|---|
| Water Preference | Lots of Water |
| Plant Growth Rate | Fast |
| Propagation Method | Seed |
Foliar
| Foliage Retention | Evergreen |
|---|---|
| Mature Foliage Colour(s) | Green |
| Mature Foliage Texture(s) | Smooth |
| Foliar Modification | Flower/Fruit Bract |
| Foliar Type | Simple / Unifoliate |
| Foliar Arrangement Along Stem | Spiral |
| Foliar Attachment to Stem | Sessile |
| Foliar Shape(s) | Non-Palm Foliage (Linear) |
| Foliar Venation | Parallel |
| Foliar Apex - Tip | Acuminate |
| Leaf Area Index (LAI) for Green Plot Ratio | 3.5 (Shrub & Groundcover - Monocot) |
Floral (Angiosperm)
| Flower & Plant Sexuality | Bisexual Flowers |
| Flower Colour(s) | Brown, Green |
|---|---|
| Flower Texture(s) | Scaly |
| Flower Grouping | Cluster / Inflorescence |
| Flower Location | Terminal |
| Inflorescence Type | Spikelet / Pseudospikelet / Compound Spike |
| Inflorescence Size | 46 cm |
Fruit, Seed and Spore
| Mature Fruit Colour(s) | Brown |
|---|---|
| Fruit Classification | Simple Fruit |
| Fruit Type | Indehiscent Dry Fruit , Achene |
| Seed Quantity Per Fruit | Few (1-5) |
References
| References | Simpson, D.A. (2019). Cyperaceae. Flora of Singapore, Volume 7. Singapore: National Parks Board. op 37-211. |
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Image Repository
Others
| Master ID | 34394 |
|---|---|
| Species ID | 8807 |
| Flora Disclaimer | The information in this website has been compiled from reliable sources, such as reference works on medicinal plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment and NParks does not purport to provide any medical advice. Readers should always consult his/her physician before using or consuming a plant for medicinal purposes. |
