Cyperaceae
Cyperus

Cyperus malawicus (J.Raynal) Lye

First published in Nordic J. Bot. 3: 231 (1983)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Zambia to Malawi. It is an annual and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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: low confidence
[AERP]

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
Malawi, 5 km SE of Chitipa (Fort Hill), 11.iii.61, Robinson 4440 (NY holotype, M).
Morphology General Habit
Small annual herb with few basal leaves; stems 5–15 cm long, trigonous, glabrous and smooth
Morphology Leaves
Leaves narrow, to 5 cm long by 1.5 mm wide
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Spikes 4–6 mm long, ovoid to cylindrical, dark grayish brown, with numerous densely spirally set spikelet bracts, each c. 0.9 mm long, subtending a reduced lateral, 1-flowered spikelet; spikelet with a small prophyll c. 1 mm long and first glume c. 2 mm long Inflorescence anthelate or completely congested, with 3–6 spikes, rays to 15 mm long, each with tubular prophyll at base
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamen 1, lateral-Ovary with 3 stigmatic branches
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit c. 1.6 mm long, narrowly linear, slightly curved, brownish.
Distribution
Zambia. Known only from Malawi and Zambia, but likely to be found in S Tanzania.
Ecology
In seasonally wet sandy soil; 1200–1700 m.
Conservation
Said to be very rare (Haines & Lye 1983); possibly Vulnerable.
[FZ]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/44393664/44504395

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

  • 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