Cyperus brevifolius (Rottb.) Hassk., Cat. Hort. bot. Bogor.: 24. 1844; R.R.Stewart, l.c. 87; Kern in Reinwardtia 2: fig. 14. 1952; in Van Steenis, Fl. Males. 7, 3: fig. 70. 1974. Koyama, Fl. Taiwan: pl. 1345. 1979. Noltie, Fl. Bhutan 3,1: fig. 30, a-b. 1994.

Perennial, 5-35 cm. Rhizome horizontal, long-creeping, c. 2mm diam., aerial stems arising from every second node. Stem 0.5-1.5 mm diam., sharply trigonous, smooth, green. Leaves much shorter than stem; sheaths 10 - 65 mm, grey or brown, sometimes with reddish tint, scarious; blades up to 10 cm, 1.5-3 mm wide, flat, slightly keeled, sometimes folded, margins smooth, apex flat, short, acute, scabrous along margins and midrib below. Inflorescence a single, round cluster of c. 100 spikes, 5-7 mm; 2-3 bracts foliose, spreading, to 80 mm. Spike c. 2.5 x 1 mm, compressed, pedicel 0.2 mm, glume-like bract scarious, glume-like prophyll scarious; glumes 2, opposite, c. 2.5 mm, keeled, folded, mid-nerve green, smooth or scabrous, acuminate, sides scarious, with 2-3 prominent nerves, white or yellowish and often with brown dots. Stamens 3. Nut c. 1 mm, compressed, obovoid, yellowish, surface papillose.

Fl. Per.: June - September (October).

Type: India, ”in regione Malabarica”, König (C; two spec., confirmed by C.B. Clarke & S.T. Blake, microfiche!).

Periodically wet meadows, rice fields; Distribution: Pantropical; often introduced , e.g., to Caucasus; Azores and Portugal (in Fl. Europ.); in Africa S of Sahara; Russian Far East, Japan, China, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Taiwan, Malaysia, Australia, N and S America.