Cyperus bulbosus Vahl

Perennial, 10-30 cm, often forming small tufts; stolons thin, ephemeral. Roots fibrous. Stem 0.5-1.5 mm diam., sharply trigonous, smooth; base swollen, often with remains of bulbil, emitting stolons 0.5 mm diam. ending into a bulbil, 8-12 mm, with dark black-brown scales. Leaves numerous, shorter to much longer than the stem; sheaths to 80 mm, yellowish, grey or brownish, soft, mouth margin slightly concave; blades to more than 20 cm, 1.5-3 mm wide, keeled, revolute, often curved, green or greyish-green, margins smooth, apex trigonous or flat, very long attenuate, acute, scabrous. Inflorescence a much reduced anthelodium or multiple spike, 30-90 mm, primary branches few and short, each ending with compact cluster of 3-10 spirally arranged spikes, or basal part often two spikes close together (on a short branch) and supported by thin foliose bract longer than the spike; at base of branches tubular prophyll up to 7 mm; bracts up to 12 cm, several foliose, thin, clearly spaced. Spike 12-15 x 1.5 mm, slightly compressed, brown; rachis winged; glumes c. 3 mm, cymbiform, back rounded, mid-nerve reddish-brown and ending into mucro just above rounded glume tip, sides with 3-4 prominent nerves, margins scarious. Nut 1.3-1.5 x c. 0.7 mm, trigonous, plano-convex, obovoid, grey, finely reticulate.

Distribution: Cap Verde Islands., W Africa, Sahara and Africa N of Sahara, E Africa from Ethiopia to Egypt, Iran, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, and to Vietnam, Malaysia and Australia.

Fl. Per.: August.

On damp sandy soil in arid regions, frequent near sea; often as weed.

Cyperus jeminicus Retz., Obs. Bot. 4: 11. 1786, non Rottb. 1773; Kükenthal, in Engler, Pflanzenr., IV.20, 101: tab. 15, figs. C-E. 1935. Valckenier Suringar, Het Geslacht Cyperus: tab. IV, fig. 28; t. V, fig. 8. 1898.