Cyperaceae
Fuirena

Fuirena ciliaris (L.) Roxb.

First published in Fl. Ind. 1: 184 (1820)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tropical & Subtropical Old World. It is an annual and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

J. Browning, K.D. Gordon-Gray†, M. Lock, H. Beentje, K. Vollesen, K. Bauters, C. Archer, I. Larridon, M. Xanthos, P. Vorster, J. Bruhl, K. Wilson and X. Zhang (2020). Flora Zambesiaca Volume: 14: Cyperaceae. M.Á. García, J.R. Timberlake (Eds). Kew Publish

Type
India (“India orientalis”), König s.n. (BM holotype)..
Morphology General Habit
Tufted annual; rhizome lacking
Morphology Culms
Culms 25–55 cm tall, 1–3 mm wide, trigonous-terete, usually densely hairy
Morphology Leaves
Leaf sheath hirsute or glabrescent; ligule glabrous or hairy; leaf blade 4–12 cm long, 4–7 mm wide, erect or spreading, hirsute or glabrescent, hairs more numerous on abaxial side of nerves, on margins and towards apex on adaxial side than on other parts, large veins present at leaf base
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence terminal, more usually paniculate 7–30 cm long, of a terminal partial inflorescence and 1–3 lateral branches subtended by leafy pubescent bracts, each hirsute branch ending in digitate clusters of spikelets in globose heads, sometimes reduced to one head, rarely to one spikelet
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets, squarrose, 5–7(12) × 2–4 mm (excluding awns), ovoid, apex acute to sometimes obtuse, green turning brown
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes not ranked, 2–3.4 mm long (including recurved awn 0.8–1.5 mm long), with short hairs and few long stiff bristles, prominently 3-nerved
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Perianth
Perianth segments 6, in 2 whorls; outer 3 segments retrorsely scabrid bristles equalling scale claw in length, sometimes short or absent, inner 3 segments of claw equal to or longer than 3-veined quadrate flat blade with apical fimbriate lobes and short arista
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 3
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Nutlet brown, 0.7– mm (including beak to 0.1 mm long and stalk) × 0.4–0.7 mm, triangular-triquetrous, often papillate near base, beak smooth or papillate; surface smooth.
Distribution
Caprivi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique. Widespread in tropical and subtropical Africa; Kenya, Tanzania, Angola, South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga) and Swaziland, extending to China, SE Asia and Australia.
Ecology
Seasonally wet grassland, freshwater swamps, stream margins of organically rich sand, and as a weed in fields; 5–1100 m.
Conservation
Widespread; not threatened.
Recognition
The species could be confused with Fuirena umbellata if basal parts are lacking and dissection is not carried out to determine the nature of the perianth segments.
[FZ]

Cyperaceae, K Hoenselaar, B. Verdcourt & H. Beentje. Hypolytrum, D Simpson. Fuirena, M Muasya. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2010

Type
Type: India orientalis, König s.n. (BM, holo.)
Morphology General Habit
Robust annual.
Morphology Culms
Culm terete, 11–60 cm tall, 2–5 mm in diameter, but ± 7 mm in diameter across the sheath, densely pubescent, or glabrous except just below the inflorescence
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-sheath and ligule hairy; blade 5–14 × 0.3–0.8 cm, densely pubescent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a digitate cluster of spikelets.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets 5–9 × 2–4 mm, terete, many-flowered.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes 2–2.7 mm long, including a 0.8–1.4 mm long mucro, with short and long hairs
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Perianth
Perianth segments absent, or 6, in 2 whorls, outer 3 segments represented by smooth bristles, inner 3 segments with smooth stalks ending in a square lamina with raised midrib and lateral veins
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Nutlet 0.7–1.1 × 0.4–0.7 mm, including style-base up to 0.1 mm long, brown, surface flat and opaque, base obtuse
Figures
Fig. 3, p18
[FTEA]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/158207/120170420

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Plants and People Africa

    • Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/
    • © Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/