Compilation
Mariscus congestus

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Name

Identification
Mariscus congestus (Vahl) C.B.Clarke [family CYPERACEAE ] Verified by Not on sheet, Cyperus congestus Vahl [family CYPERACEAE ] (stored under name); Verified by Vorster P., 1977
Related name
  • Cyperus congestus
  • Mariscus congestus
  • Cyperus sp.
  • Mariscus cooperi

Flora

Entry for MARISCUS congestus C. B. Clarke [family CYPERACEAE]
Herbarium
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K)
Collection
Flora Capensis
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Entry From
Flora Capensis, Vol 7, page 149, (1900) Author: (By C. B. CLARKE.)
Names
MARISCUS congestus C. B. Clarke [family CYPERACEAE]
Cyperus congestus Vahl [family CYPERACEAE], Enum. ii. 358; Schrad. Anal. Fl. Cap. 9; Nees in Linnæa, vii. 518; x. 136 (excl. var β); Kunth, Enum. ii. 87; Boeck. in Linnæa, xxxvi. 347; C. B. Clarke in Journ. Linn. Soc. xxi. 182; not of Poiret.
Cyperus badius Steud. [family CYPERACEAE], in Flora, 1829, 153; not of Desfont.
Information
glabrous, medium- to large-sized; rhizome short, horizontal, woody (no stolons seen except in var. β); stem 9–24 in. long, triquetrous at the top, smooth, throwing short lateral shoots at the base; leaves often as long as the stem, 1/6– 1/4 in. broad, tough, smooth, without transverse lineolations; umbel usually open simple (cf. varr. β, γ); rays 2–7, up to 4–6 in. long; bracts 3–6, overtopping the umbel, similar to the leaves; spike (at the end of a ray) of many spikelets, usually compound, more or less corymbose, dense, with very small or no bract; spikelets spicate, 2/3 by 1/10 in., linear, compressed, maturing often 10–16 nuts, scarcely deflexed even in fruit; rhachis somewhat flexuose, finally (but very late) deciduous above the two lowest empty glumes from a small cushion, wings oblong, hyaline, persistent; glumes rather distant, elliptic-oblong, obtuse, scarcely keeled, 7–9-striate on the back, green or pale, sides red; stamens 3; anthers linear-oblong, not crested; nut 2/5 the length of the glume, oblong-ellipsoid, obtuse, trigonous, nearly black; style slender, rather shorter than the nut, branches 3 as long as the style. null
Range
Also in St. Helena, Mediterranean Region, and Australia.
Distribution
CENTRAL REGION Graaff Reinet, MacOwan, 1019! Albert Div.; Cooper, 656!COAST REGION Cape Div.; Cape Town, Rehmann, 1776! Table Mountain, Ecklon, 886! Paarl Div.; between Paarl and Lady Grey Bridge, Drège. Worcester Div.; mountains above Worcester, Rehmann, 2577! Khomga Div.; Kei River, Flanagan, 957! Cathcart Div.; near Cathcart, 4500 ft., Kuntze, 265! Queenstown Div.; Shiloh, 3500 ft., Baur, 845! 850! Var. β. Albany Div.; Grahamstown, 2000 ft., MacOwan, 496! Var. γ, Uiteuhage Div.; Zwartkops River, Ecklon and Zeyher, 504! Ecklon! Zeyher, 16!EASTERN REGION Pondoland; between the Umtentu River and Umzimkulu River, Drège, Bachmann, 90! Natal; Coast-land, 0–5000 ft., Sutherland! Mohlamba Range, 5000–6000 ft., Sutherland! Mooi River Station, Kuntze, 240! Howick, 1000 ft., Junod, 267! and without precise locality, Buchanan, 326! Schlechter, 6351! Var. β, Natal, Buchanan, 315!KALAHARI REGION Griqualand West, Ongeluk, Burchell, 2646! Orange Free State, Buchanan, 84! Transvaal; Pretoria, Kuntze, 244! Rehmann, 4037! 4774! Houtbosch, Rehmann, 5655! and without precise locality, McLea in Herb. Bolus, 5814!SOUTH AFRICA without locality, Drège, 4422! Ecklon and Zeyher, 24! Bergius, 168! Krebs, 13! Harvey, 368! Thom, 1028! Toise River, 3500 ft., Kuntze, 272! Var. γ, Ecklon and Zeyher, 134!
Notes
This species, though closely allied to the twelve following, is, as to technical diagnosis, poorly separated from the genus Cyperus; the rhachilla of the spikelet below the lowest fertile flower only disarticulating very late. The geographical distribution is remarkable: the plant, identical in habit, is frequent in Australia; and the examples from Diana's Peak (St. Helena) are probably indigenous. The species has been for nearly a century cultivated in Europe. There are so many examples sent from the Mediterranean Region, especially its eastern end, Turkey and Asia Minor, that it would appear indigenous there; but examples (marked as wild) from Potsdam, Geneva Lake, Coimbra, may probably be escapes.

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