Scleria lithosperma
Prodr., 18. 1788.
Plants perennial; rhizomes short, nodulose, aromatic when fresh. Culms in tufts, slender, 30–90 (–115) cm, glabrous or slightly scabrous. Leaves: sheaths purplish, wingless, weakly ribbed, finely pilose or nearly glabrous; contraligules reddish, triangular, rigid, distinctly ciliate; blades distinctly grayish green and revolute when dry, linear, attenuate, keeled, 1–3 (–5) mm wide, shorter than culms. Inflorescences: axillary 1–3, terminal 1, quite lax; stalked spikes or panicles 2–4, terminal one 3–4.5 (–8.5) cm with 2–7 open fascicles 2–6 (–9) mm wide, of 1–4 spikelets; bracts subtending and overtopping inflorescence leaflike, broadly attenuate, scabrous. Spikelets bisexual (an occasional terminal staminate spikelet), few flowered, 3–5 mm; staminate scales lanceolate, pistillate scales ovate-acuminate, with prominent green keel. Achenes whitish or gray between angles, obscurely trigonous, ovoid or globose, 2–2.5 (–3) mm, smooth, base broadly attenuate, somewhat depressed between angles, trigonous, not porose, apex umbonate; hypogynium obsolete, reduced to distinct brown band at base of achene.
Phenology: Fruiting spring–fall.
Habitat: Dry thickets, open woods, hammocks, restricted to limestone soils
Elevation: 0 m
Distribution
Fla., La., Mexico, West Indies, Central America, South America, tropical Asia, Africa
Discussion
Selected References
None.
Lower Taxa
"shortened" is not a number."wide" is not a number."wide" is not a number.