Cyperus alternifolius L. ssp. flabelliformis (Rottb.) Kük.
Cyperus flabelliformis Rottb.
Cyperus involucratus Rottb.
Umbrella plant
Probably native to Madagascar, the umbrella sedge has become naturalized throughout much of Africa and southern North America. It can become invasive in wet habitats. It is closely related and similar in appearance to the Egyptian papyrus plant.
Plants: Grows in dense clumps of triangular stems 2–6′ (60–182 cm) high.
Leaves: Stems are leafless except at the bottom, where there are some inconspicuous basal leaves, and at the tops, where are starlike array of long, narrow grasslike leaves spreads extend in a circle around the stem. Each leaf is 6–15 ⨉ ½″ (15–38 ⨉ 1.3 cm).
Flowers: At the center there is a cluster of 8-20 greenish spikelet flowers. Individual spikelets are up to ⅜″ (9.5 mm) long.
Fruits: Achenes are brown, sessile, broadly ellipsoid, and ~1/32 ⨉ ~1/32″ (0.6–0.8 ⨉ 0.4–0.6 mm).
Habitats: Plants mostly prefer wet, boggy habitats.
Online References:
Cyperus alternifolius auct. non L.
Cyperus alternifolius L. ssp. flabelliformis (Rottb.) Kük.
Cyperus flabelliformis Rottb.
Cyperus alternifolius L. ssp. flabelliformis (Rottb.) Kük.
Cyperus flabelliformis Rottb.
4/6/2011 · Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory & Botanic Gardens, Druid Hill Park, Baltimore, Maryland · ≈ 4½ × 3″ (11 × 7.9 cm) 
4/6/2011 · Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory & Botanic Gardens, Druid Hill Park, Baltimore, Maryland · ≈ 1 × 1½′ (34 × 52 cm) 
4/6/2011 · Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory & Botanic Gardens, Druid Hill Park, Baltimore, Maryland · ≈ 9 × 14″ (23 × 35 cm) 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms |
| Class | Liliopsida | Monocots (plants with a single seed leaf); includes the lily family |
| Subclass | Commelinidae | Dayflowers and spiderworts, and several others |
| Order | Cyperales | Flowering plants including grasses |
| Family | Cyperaceae | Sedge family |
| Genus | Cyperus | From an ancient Greek word meaning “sedge” |
| Species | involucratus | Provided with an involucre, a ring of bracts surrounding or enclosing a head of several flowers |
Cyperus involucratus description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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