Cyperus tenuispica Steud.

Frequently mixed with C. haspan, but glumes of C. haspan are longer and straight and the nuts smoother than those of C.tenuispica.

Annual, 10-15 cm, forming small tufts. Stem 0.5-1.3 mm diam., 3-5-angular, smooth. Leaves shorter than stem, soon withering; sheaths green or red, soft, lower blade-less, mouth oblique or, when leaf blade present, rather straight; ligule 0; blades up to 60 mm, 1-2 mm wide, yellow-green, flat or folded, soft, rather acute, margins and keel smooth, apex barbed. Inflorescence a compound anthelodium, 20-70 mm; bracts few, one or two foliose, up to more than 10 cm; primary branches c. 10, up to 70 mm; secondary anthelodium 10-20 mm, almost spherical, secondary branches 5-15 mm; cluster of spikes at the tip of all of the secondary branches, with 2-10 sessile spikes; spikes 2-8 x c. 1 mm, compressed, with 10-30 glumes; glume-like bract c. 0.8 mm, cymbiform, glume-like prophyll clasping, c. 0.6 mm, scarious, sterile; rachis 4-angled, c. 0.4 mm wide, green or reddish, internodes c. 0.5 mm, hardly winged; glumes c. 1 mm, closely imbricate, cymbiform, recurving, obtuse, mid-nerve area green, slightly keeled near the apex, sides reddish brown, margins narrowly scarious. Stamens 1 or 2, connective tip smooth. Nut 0.4-0.5 mm, almost spherical to obovoid, obtusely trigonous, white or yellowish, papillose or tuberculate.

Tropical and subtropical Africa and Asia.

Distribution: Tropical Africa, E. Africa, Kashmir, India, from Tadjikistan and Himalayas to Sri Lanka and eastwards.

500-1400 m

Fl. Per.: September - December.

Marshlands, river banks, weed in rice fields.