Cyperaceae - Schoenoplectus triqueter (L.) Palla

Description Rhizomes creeping. Stems up to 150 cm × 2–8 mm, triquetrous, smooth, solid, green or rarely glaucous, with base ± thickened by leaf-sheaths. Leaves mostly reduced to bladeless sheaths, with a blade present on uppermost sheath only, 1–20 cm × 2–8 mm, linear-subulate; sheath up to 18 cm long, pale to mid brown, membranous and splitting early; ligule present, membranous. Inflorescence with few to numerous spikelets, capitate or with 2–5 primary branches up to 2 cm long; secondary branches 0; involucral bracts 2, linear-subulate, the lower up to 11 cm long, always longer than inflorescence, erect. Spikelets 5–10 × 2–4 mm, ovoid, subacute, dark reddish-brown. Glumes 3.5–4 × 1.5–3 mm, spirally arranged, broadly obovate, membranous, reddish-brown, with narrow hyaline and ciliate margins; apex obtuse, mucronate with truncate or obtuse lobes on either side of mucro. Flowers bisexual; perianth bristles 6, ± equalling nut, retrorsely scabrid; stamens 3, with their anthers 1.4–1.5 mm long; stigmas 2. Nuts 2.5–3 × 1.5–2.5 mm, ellipsoid to obovoid, compressed, reddish-brown, shiny, smooth. [details]

Description Rizoma de entrenudos largos, hasta de 6 mm de diámetro. Tallos 50–155 cm × 2–6 mm, trígonos, con las caras planas a...

Description Rizoma de entrenudos largos, hasta de 6 mm de diámetro. Tallos 50–155 cm × 2–6 mm, trígonos, con las caras planas a algo cóncavas, verdes. Hojas reducidas a vainas herbáceas, frecuentemente teñidas de color púrpura oscuro, que cuando se deshacen forman una estructura fibrosa de apariencia pinnada; a veces con una lámina hasta de 6 cm, claramente de menor longitud que su vaina, plana o de sección en “V” hacia el ápice, en ocasiones trígona. Inflorescencia con (2)5–35 espiguillas dispuestas en un glomérulo laxo, o en fascículo sésil o una antela ramificada 1–2 veces; en este último caso, las ramas llevan 1–4(9) espiguillas y el conjunto alcanza 3–4,5 cm; ejes de la inflorescencia comprimidos o muy poco acanalados, con los bordes lisos o laxamente provistos de dientes romos, antrosos; bráctea inferior de 35–60(65) × 3–6 mm, de longitud igual o menor que la inflorescencia, erecta, de sección en “V”, trígona hacia el ápice; espiguillas 5–10 mm, de contorno ovado–lanceolado, con (4)10–36 flores. Glumas 2,3–3,2 × 1,6–1,8 mm, ovadas, de ápice emarginado y mucronado, con la escotadura de 0,1–0,6 mm, ápice de los dientes redondeado y mucrón recto o algo sinuoso de 0,2–0,4(0,5) mm, liso o laxamente antroso–escábrido; superficie de las glumas lisa; bordes ciliados; de color pardo–rojizo o pardo anaranjado; hialinas hacia la base; por lo general con una banda central más clara y en ocasiones con margen escarioso. Anteras 0,9–1,2 mm, amarillas o anaranjadas, apiculadas, con mucrón de 0,1–0,2 mm, liso o laxamente aculeolado en el ápice, de color pardo–rojizo, al igual que el conectivo. Estilo con 2 estigmas. Aquenios (1,62)1,5–2,3 × (0,8)0,9–1,4 mm, de contorno obovado, plano–convexos, lisos, parduscos, con las caras del lado adaxial ligeramente convexas, dispuestas transversalmente, con los ápices de similar longitud. 2n = 40*, 42*, n = 21*. [details]

Description Rhizomes 1.5–5 mm diam. Culms sharply trigonous, 0.5–1.5 m × 2–4 mm. Leaves 3–4, basal, smooth; sheath fronts not...

Description Rhizomes 1.5–5 mm diam. Culms sharply trigonous, 0.5–1.5 m × 2–4 mm. Leaves 3–4, basal, smooth; sheath fronts not pinnate-fibrillose; blades 1 or 2, thickly V-shaped in cross section, to equaling sheath length. Inflorescences 1–2 timesbranched or subcapitate or of 1 spikelet, branches to 4 cm; proximal bract usually erect, trigonous, 2–7 cm. Spikelets 1–35, in clusters or solitary, 5–12 × 3–4 mm; scales straw-colored to orange-brown or midrib greenish, usually clearly lineolate-spotted, ovate, 3–3.5 × 2.5 mm, flanks ribless, midrib proximally spinulose, apex acute to rounded, notch 0.3 mm deep, awn 0.3 mm, sparsely spinulose. Flowers: perianth members 4–6, brown, bristlelike, equaling to less than 1/2 of achene body, retrorsely spinulose; anthers 2 mm; crest short, spinulose; styles 2-fid. Achenes brown, biconvex, ovoid to obovoid, 2–2.5 × 1.5–2 mm; beak 0.1–0.2 mm. 2n = 42 [details]

Taxonomic remark Source in seed data: wcs Update namepublishedIn from Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 10: 299 1888 to Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 10: 299 (1888),...

Taxonomic remark Source in seed data: wcs Update namepublishedIn from Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 10: 299 1888 to Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 10: 299 (1888), information provided by Alan E. on email Jun. 07 2021 More details could be found in [details]

Taxonomic citation

Cyperaceae Working Group. (2025). [see How to cite]. Global Cyperaceae Database. Schoenoplectus triqueter (L.) Palla. Accessed at: https://cyperaceae.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=1681402 on 2026-01-13

Taxonomic edit history

Date

action

2023-09-06 07:35:01Z

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Larridon, Isabel

2024-12-10 11:47:54Z

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Licensing

The webpage text is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License

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Nomenclature

original description (of Scirpus triqueter L.) (1767). Mantissa Plantarum. Generum Editionis vi et Specierum. 2., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/44260844#page/1/mode/1up
page(s): 29 [details]

basis of record Plants of the World Online (POWO). , available online at https://powo.science.kew.org/ [details]

new combination reference Palla, E. (1888). Zur Kenntnis der Gattung » Scirpus«. <em>Botanische Jahrbücher fur Systematik, Pflanzengeschichte und Pflanzengeographie.</em> 10(4): 293-304., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/198686#page/3/mode/1up
page(s): 299 [details]

Taxonomy

taxonomy source Jermy, A.C.; Simpson, D.A.; Foley, M.J.Y.; Porter, M.S. (2007). Sedges of the British Isles. 554 pp. Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland, United Kingdom. [details] Available for editors

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taxonomy source Luceño, M., Castroviejo, S., Jiménez-Mejías, P. (2008). Cyperaceae. In: Castroviejo, Luceño, M., Galán, A., Jiménez-Mejías, P., Cabezas, F., Medina, L. (eds). Flora iberica. Plantas vasculares de la Península Ibérica e Islas Baleares. Vol. XVIII. Madrid: CSIC., available online at https://bibdigital.rjb.csic.es/records/item/12958-flora-iberica-vol-18-cyperaceae-pontederiaceae?offset=, http://www.floraiberica.es/PHP/familias_lista_.php?familia=Cyperaceae [details]

Other

additional source Li, B. Z.; Zhang, S. R. (2024). An updated species checklist and taxonomic synopsis of Cyperaceae in China. <em>Biodiversity Science.</em> 32(7): 24106., available online at https://doi.org/10.17520/biods.2024106 [details] Available for editors

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Present

Inaccurate

Introduced: alien

Containing type locality

Lectotype (of Scirpus triqueter L.) LINN HL71-29 [details]

From editor or global species database

Translation Rhizome with long internodes, up to 6 mm in diameter. Stems 50–155 cm × 2–6 mm, trigonous, with flat to slightly concave faces, green. Leaves reduced to herbaceous sheaths, frequently tinged dark purple, which when degraded form a fibrous structure of pinnate appearance; sometimes with a blade up to 6 cm long, clearly shorter than the sheath, flat or V-shaped in cross section towards the apex, occasionally trigonous. Inflorescence with (2)5–35 spikelets arranged in a loose glomerule, or in a sessile fascicle, or in an antela branched 1–2 times; in the latter case, branches bear 1–4(9) spikelets and the whole reaches 3–4.5 cm; inflorescence axes compressed or scarcely channeled, with smooth edges or loosely provided with blunt teeth, antrorse; lower bract 35–60(65) × 3–6 mm, equal to or shorter than the inflorescence, erect, V-shaped in cross section, trigonous towards the apex; spikelets 5–10 mm, ovate–lanceolate in outline, with (4)10–36 flowers. Glumes 2.3–3.2 × 1.6–1.8 mm, ovate, with an emarginate and mucronate apex, the notch 0.1–0.6 mm deep, teeth with rounded apices and a straight or slightly sinuous mucro 0.2–0.4(0.5) mm long, smooth or loosely antrorse–scabrous; glume surface smooth; margins ciliate; reddish-brown to brownish-orange in color; hyaline at the base; generally with a paler central band and sometimes with scarious margins. Anthers 0.9–1.2 mm, yellow to orange, apiculate, with a mucro 0.1–0.2 mm long, smooth or loosely aculeolate at the apex, reddish-brown in color, as is the connective. Style with two stigmas. Achenes (1.62)1.5–2.3 × (0.8)0.9–1.4 mm, obovate in outline, plano-convex, smooth, brownish, with the adaxial faces slightly convex, transversely arranged, with apices of similar length. 2n = 40*, 42*, n = 21*. [details]

Definitions