Cyperus flaccidus

Small tufted annual. Culms triquetrous above, flattened below, smooth or scabrous, 2–20 cm high, 1–2 mm diam. Leaves not septate-nodulose, 1–2 mm wide, mostly shorter than culms and often reduced to sheaths. Inflorescence simple with 3–7 branches to 8 cm long, or head-like; digitate clusters to 1.5 cm diam.; involucral bracts leaf-like, the lowest erect and appearing as a continuation of the culm, often much longer than inflorescence. Spikelets flattened, 2–8 per cluster, to 20-flowered, 5–10 mm long, 2–2.5 mm wide; rachilla not winged, persistent; glumes excurved-mucronate, with sides 1-nerved, whitish with obviously reticulate keel, 1–1.5 mm long; stamens 1 or 2. Nut triquetrous, broad-obovoid, brown, c. one-half as long as glume, c. 0.5 mm long, c. 0.3 mm diam. Flowers spring–summer.