Cyperaceae

Sedge Family

(with comments on the Rush Family, Juncaceae)

Informal family characterization (based largely on SMI): A large worldwide family of about 60 genera and 5300 species. Sedges are similar to grasses but usually differ (with exceptions) by having triangular (vs. round) stems, leaves in 3 (vs. 2) rows, leaves often confined to the base and/or top of the plant, and tiny flowers arranged usually in spikelets (but lacking the specialized glumes, lemmas and paleas of grasses). The Rush Family (Juncaceae) resembles sedges but differs most notably by having flowers with perianths (that is, petals or sepals) (vs. perianths absent or reduced to bristles in sedges), 6 (vs. 2 or 3) stamens, and multiseeded fruits (vs. just one seed per fruit).

To learn more about this family see SMI, ZOM

Key to Important Sedges Cultivated in South Florida

1. Bracts white…Painted Sedge (Rhynchospora colorata)

1. Bracts green or absent…2

2. Inflorescence immediately above a whorl of large, conspicuous bracts longer than the inflorescence branches…Umbrellasedge (Cyperus involucratus)

2. Inflorescences without bracts, or these small and inconspicuous…3

3. Plants usually > 5’ tall (shorter in dwarf cultivar C. papyrus ‘Percamentus’), the inflorescence with small bracts (inconspicuous and much shorter then the inflorescence branches); inflorescence branches flexible and drooping…Papyrus (Cyperus papyrus)

3. Plants < 5’ tall; inflorescence without bracts; inflorescence branches stiffly upright...Dwarf Papyrus (Cyperus prolifer aka C. isocladus)

Note that ‘Percamentus’ and C. prolifer are both called ”Dwarf Papyrus.”