Roadside flatsedge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Roadside flatsedge |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Cyperus
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| Species: |
zollingeri
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The roadside flatsedge (scientific name: Cyperus zollingeri) is a type of plant called a sedge. Sedges look a bit like grasses. This plant belongs to the Cyperaceae family. You can find it naturally growing in warm, tropical parts of Australia, Africa, and Asia.
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What Roadside Flatsedge Looks Like
This plant is an annual herb, which means it lives for only one growing season. It looks a lot like grass. The roadside flatsedge usually grows to be about 0.1 to 0.4 meters (4 to 16 inches) tall. It grows in a "tufted" way, meaning many stems grow closely together from one spot, like a clump.
Stems and Leaves
The stems of this plant are special. They can be "trigonous" (meaning they have three distinct edges, like a triangle) or "triquetrous" (which also means three-sided, but with sharp corners). These stems can grow up to 40 centimeters (about 16 inches) long.
The plant has short leaves, usually about 1 to 2.5 millimeters (0.04 to 0.1 inches) wide. At the base of each leaf, there's a small flap called a "ligule." This ligule is well-developed, meaning it's easy to see. The lower parts of the stems are covered in papery layers called "sheaths." These sheaths feel a bit rough or "scabrid" towards the top.
Flowers and Seeds
The roadside flatsedge blooms in spring, usually between April and May. It produces green flowers. When it flowers, it forms a simple, loose group of flowers called an "inflorescence." This flower cluster grows on a stalk called a "peduncle." The inflorescence has a spike of smaller flower parts called "spikelets," with one to three branches.
After flowering, the plant produces small, hard fruits called "nuts." These nuts are brown to black and also have a three-sided shape. They are quite tiny, only about 1.3 to 1.5 millimeters (0.05 to 0.06 inches) long. The plant has thin, dense roots that spread out like a network.
How Roadside Flatsedge Got Its Name
The way plants get their scientific names is called "taxonomy." This plant was first described in 1820 by a scientist named Johann Heinrich Friedrich Link. He called it Cyperus lucidulus.
Later, in 1854, another botanist (a plant scientist) named Ernst Gottlieb von Steudel gave it the name it has today: Cyperus zollingeri. There was also one other name given to it, Cyperus ramosii, by Georg Kükenthal in 1925, but Cyperus zollingeri is the name that is officially used now.
Where Roadside Flatsedge Grows
This plant naturally grows in many tropical areas around the world.
In Australia
In Australia, you can find it in:
- Western Australia: It grows along streams and creeks in the Kimberley region. It likes sandy-clay soil that has been carried by water.
- Northern Territory: It's found across the "top end" of this territory.
- Queensland: You can see it in the Cape York Peninsula and the north-east parts of Queensland.
In Other Countries
The roadside flatsedge also grows naturally in parts of:
- Africa: This includes countries like the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Senegal, and Tanzania.
- Asia: You can find it in India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and China.
