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biodiversity explorer

the web of life in southern Africa

Genus: Cyperus

Life > eukaryotes > Archaeoplastida > Chloroplastida > Charophyta > Streptophytina > Plantae (land plants) > Tracheophyta (vascular plants) > Euphyllophyta > Lignophyta (woody plants) > Spermatophyta (seed plants) > Angiospermae (flowering plants) > Monocotyledons > Order: Poales > Family: Cyperaceae

About 550 species (nearly cosmopolitan), with 87 species native to southern Africa and one naturalised. Cyperus fuscescens, Cyperus meyerianus, Cyperus sartorii and Cyperus zollingerioides are not included here, as their current taxonomical status is uncertain.

Species native to southern Africa

List from Plants of Southern Africa - an Online Checklist (SANBI) and Flora of Zimbabwe.

Cyperus albostriatus

Cyperus alopecuroides

 

Cyperus amabilis

 

Cyperus angolensis

Cyperus articulatus

 

Cyperus bellus

 

Cyperus brevis

 

Cyperus capensis

 

Cyperus chersinus

 

Cyperus clavinux

 

Cyperus compressus

 

Cyperus congestus

 

Cyperus crassipes

 

Cyperus cuspidatus

 

Cyperus cyperoides

 

Cyperus deciduus

 

Cyperus denudatus

 

Cyperus dichroostchyus

 

Cyperus difformis

 

Cyperus digitatus

 

Cyperus distans

Cyperus dives

 

Cyperus dubius

 

Cyperus durus

 

Cyperus elephantinus

 

Cyperus esculentus (Yellow nutsedge)

Cyperus fastigiatus

 

Cyperus fulgens

 

Cyperus glaucophyllus

Recorded from Zimbabwe.

 

Cyperus haematocephalus

 

Cyperus hamulosus

 

Cyperus hemisphaericus

[= Mariscus hemisphaericus]

Recorded from Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

Cyperus imbricatus

 

Cyperus indecorus

 

Cyperus involucratus

Cyperus iria

 

Cyperus keniensis

 

Cyperus kirkii

 

Cyperus laevigatus

 

Cyperus latifolius

 

Cyperus laxus

Recorded from Zimbabwe.

 

Cyperus leptocladus

 

Cyperus longus

 

Cyperus macrocarpus

 

Cyperus maculatus

 

Cyperus margaritaceus

 

Cyperus marginatus

 

Cyperus marlothii

 

Cyperus mwinilungensis

 

Cyperus natalensis

 

Cyperus obtusiflorus

Cyperus owanii

 

Cyperus papyrus (Papyrus)

Cyperus parvinux

 

Cyperus pectinatus

[= Anosporum pectinatus]

 

Cyperus procerus

 

Cyperus prolifer

 

Cyperus pseudoleptocladus

 

Cyperus pseudovestitus

 

Cyperus pulchellus

Recorded from Zimbabwe.

 

Cyperus pulcher

 

Cyperus pygmaeus

 

Cyperus rehmii

 

Cyperus rigidifolius

 

Cyperus rotundus

 

Cyperus rubicundus

 

Cyperus rupestris

 

Cyperus schinzii

 

Cyperus schlechteri

 

Cyperus semitrifidus

 

Cyperus sensilis

 

Cyperus sexangularis

 

Cyperus solidus

 

Cyperus sphacelatus

Recorded from Zimbabwe.

 

Cyperus sphaerospermus

 

Cyperus squarrosus

 

Cyperus submacropus

 

Cyperus tabularis

 

Cyperus tenax

 

Cyperus tenuispica

 

Cyperus textilis

 

Cyperus thunbergii

 

Cyperus turrillii

 

Cyperus usitatus

 

Cyperus vestitus

 

Cyperus vorsteri

 

Cyperus zollingeri

 

Species naturalised in southern Africa

From Archer (2003).

Cyperus eragrostis

 

Publications

  • Archer, C. 2003. Cyperaceae. In Germishuizen, G. & Meyer, N.L. (eds), Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14: 1020-1047. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.