Taxon: Cyperus ligularis L.

Summary

Genus:

Cyperus

Family:

Cyperaceae

Subfamily:

Cyperoideae

Tribe:

Cypereae

Nomen number:

447248

Place of publication:

Syst. nat. ed. 10, 2:867. 1759; Pl. jamaic. pug. 3. 1759

Typification:

View in Linnean Typification Project

Verified:

12/10/2009 ARS Systematic Botanists.

Accessions:

0 (0 active, 0 available) in National Plant Germplasm System.

Other conspecific taxa

Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations

Homotypic Synonym(s)
Mariscus ligularis (L.) Urb.

No images

Conservation Status

Reference(s)

Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & M. T. Strong. 2012. Catalogue of seed plants of the West Indies. Smithsonian Contr. Bot. 98
Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. et al. 1996. Flora of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 78:1-581.
Boggan, J. et al. 1997. Checklist of the plants of the Guianas, ed. 2
Brako, L. & J. L. Zarucchi. 1993. Catalogue of the flowering plants and gymnosperms of Peru. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 45
FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
Govaerts, R. & D. A. Simpson. 2007. World checklist of Cyperaceae, sedges.
Hickman, J. C., ed. 1993. The Jepson manual: higher plants of California
Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles. Note: = Mariscus ligularis (L.) Urb.
Jardín Botánico Nacional. 1998-. Flora de la República de Cuba
Jørgensen, P. M. & S. León-Yánez, eds. 1999. Catalogue of the vascular plants of Ecuador. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 75
Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2. Note: = Mariscus ligularis (L.) Urb.
McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
Porcher, M. H. et al. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (MMPND) (on-line resource).
Proctor, G. R. 1984. Flora of the Cayman Islands. Kew Bulletin Additional Series XI.
Rogers, G. & B. McClain. 1998. The sedges (Cyperaceae) of Barbados. Rhodora 100:394.
Steyermark, J. A. et al., eds. 1995-. Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana. Note: Missouri Botanical Garden & Timber Press
Tucker, G. C. 1994. Revision of the Mexican species of Cyperus (Cyperaceae). Syst. Bot. Monogr. 43:163-165.
Wunderlin, R. P. 1998. Guide to the vascular plants of Florida

Common names

Language	Name	Alternate name	note	seq	Citation
English	swamp flat sedge			1	Wunderlin, R. P. 1998. Guide to the vascular plants of Florida

Distribution

order_code	Status	Continent	Subcontinent	Country	State	Note	Reference
1	Native	Africa	Macaronesia	Cabo Verde			Govaerts, R. & D. A. Simpson. 2007. World checklist of Cyperaceae, sedges.
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Benin			Govaerts, R. & D. A. Simpson. 2007. World checklist of Cyperaceae, sedges.
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Côte D'Ivoire			Govaerts, R. & D. A. Simpson. 2007. World checklist of Cyperaceae, sedges.
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Gambia			Govaerts, R. & D. A. Simpson. 2007. World checklist of Cyperaceae, sedges.
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Ghana			Govaerts, R. & D. A. Simpson. 2007. World checklist of Cyperaceae, sedges.
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Guinea			Govaerts, R. & D. A. Simpson. 2007. World checklist of Cyperaceae, sedges.
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Guinea-Bissau			Govaerts, R. & D. A. Simpson. 2007. World checklist of Cyperaceae, sedges.
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Liberia			Govaerts, R. & D. A. Simpson. 2007. World checklist of Cyperaceae, sedges.
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Nigeria			Govaerts, R. & D. A. Simpson. 2007. World checklist of Cyperaceae, sedges.
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Senegal			Govaerts, R. & D. A. Simpson. 2007. World checklist of Cyperaceae, sedges.
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Sierra Leone			Govaerts, R. & D. A. Simpson. 2007. World checklist of Cyperaceae, sedges.
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Togo			Govaerts, R. & D. A. Simpson. 2007. World checklist of Cyperaceae, sedges.
1	Native	Africa	West-Central Tropical Africa	Cameroon			Govaerts, R. & D. A. Simpson. 2007. World checklist of Cyperaceae, sedges.
1	Native	Africa	West-Central Tropical Africa	Democratic Republic of the Congo			Govaerts, R. & D. A. Simpson. 2007. World checklist of Cyperaceae, sedges.
1	Native	Africa	West-Central Tropical Africa	Equatorial Guinea			Govaerts, R. & D. A. Simpson. 2007. World checklist of Cyperaceae, sedges.
1	Native	Africa	West-Central Tropical Africa	Gabon			Govaerts, R. & D. A. Simpson. 2007. World checklist of Cyperaceae, sedges.
1	Native	Africa	Western Indian Ocean	Seychelles			Govaerts, R. & D. A. Simpson. 2007. World checklist of Cyperaceae, sedges.
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Baja California Sur		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Sinaloa		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Tamaulipas	s.	McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Florida		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Campeche		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Chiapas		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Colima		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Guerrero		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Jalisco		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Michoacán de Ocampo		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Nayarit		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Oaxaca		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Quintana Roo		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Tabasco		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Yucatán		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Southern America	Brazil	Brazil			Govaerts, R. & D. A. Simpson. 2007. World checklist of Cyperaceae, sedges.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Antigua and Barbuda	Antigua		Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles. Note: = Mariscus ligularis (L.) Urb.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Aruba			Govaerts, R. & D. A. Simpson. 2007. World checklist of Cyperaceae, sedges.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Bahamas			Govaerts, R. & D. A. Simpson. 2007. World checklist of Cyperaceae, sedges.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Barbados			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles. Note: = Mariscus ligularis (L.) Urb.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Cayman Islands			Proctor, G. R. 1984. Flora of the Cayman Islands. Kew Bulletin Additional Series XI.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Cuba			Jardín Botánico Nacional. 1998-. Flora de la República de Cuba
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Dominica			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles. Note: = Mariscus ligularis (L.) Urb.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Dominican Republic			Govaerts, R. & D. A. Simpson. 2007. World checklist of Cyperaceae, sedges.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Grenada			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles. Note: = Mariscus ligularis (L.) Urb.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Guadeloupe			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles. Note: = Mariscus ligularis (L.) Urb.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Haiti			Govaerts, R. & D. A. Simpson. 2007. World checklist of Cyperaceae, sedges.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Jamaica			Govaerts, R. & D. A. Simpson. 2007. World checklist of Cyperaceae, sedges.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Montserrat			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles. Note: = Mariscus ligularis (L.) Urb.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Netherlands Antilles			Govaerts, R. & D. A. Simpson. 2007. World checklist of Cyperaceae, sedges.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	St. Lucia			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles. Note: = Mariscus ligularis (L.) Urb.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	St. Vincent and Grenadines	Saint Vincent		Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles. Note: = Mariscus ligularis (L.) Urb.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Trinidad and Tobago			Govaerts, R. & D. A. Simpson. 2007. World checklist of Cyperaceae, sedges.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	United States	Puerto Rico		Govaerts, R. & D. A. Simpson. 2007. World checklist of Cyperaceae, sedges.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	United States	Virgin Islands, U.S.		Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. et al. 1996. Flora of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 78:1-581.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Virgin Islands (British)			Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. et al. 1996. Flora of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 78:1-581.
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Belize			Govaerts, R. & D. A. Simpson. 2007. World checklist of Cyperaceae, sedges.
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Costa Rica			Govaerts, R. & D. A. Simpson. 2007. World checklist of Cyperaceae, sedges.
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	El Salvador			Govaerts, R. & D. A. Simpson. 2007. World checklist of Cyperaceae, sedges.
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Guatemala			Govaerts, R. & D. A. Simpson. 2007. World checklist of Cyperaceae, sedges.
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Honduras			Govaerts, R. & D. A. Simpson. 2007. World checklist of Cyperaceae, sedges.
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Nicaragua			Govaerts, R. & D. A. Simpson. 2007. World checklist of Cyperaceae, sedges.
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Panama			Govaerts, R. & D. A. Simpson. 2007. World checklist of Cyperaceae, sedges.
1	Native	Southern America	Northern South America	French Guiana			Boggan, J. et al. 1997. Checklist of the plants of the Guianas, ed. 2
1	Native	Southern America	Northern South America	Guyana			Boggan, J. et al. 1997. Checklist of the plants of the Guianas, ed. 2
1	Native	Southern America	Northern South America	Suriname			Boggan, J. et al. 1997. Checklist of the plants of the Guianas, ed. 2
1	Native	Southern America	Northern South America	Venezuela			Govaerts, R. & D. A. Simpson. 2007. World checklist of Cyperaceae, sedges.
1	Native	Southern America	Southern South America	Paraguay			Govaerts, R. & D. A. Simpson. 2007. World checklist of Cyperaceae, sedges.
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Bolivia			Govaerts, R. & D. A. Simpson. 2007. World checklist of Cyperaceae, sedges.
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Colombia			Govaerts, R. & D. A. Simpson. 2007. World checklist of Cyperaceae, sedges.
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Ecuador	Azuay		Jørgensen, P. M. & S. León-Yánez, eds. 1999. Catalogue of the vascular plants of Ecuador. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 75
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Ecuador	El Oro		Jørgensen, P. M. & S. León-Yánez, eds. 1999. Catalogue of the vascular plants of Ecuador. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 75
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Ecuador	Esmeraldas		Jørgensen, P. M. & S. León-Yánez, eds. 1999. Catalogue of the vascular plants of Ecuador. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 75
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Ecuador	Galápagos		Jørgensen, P. M. & S. León-Yánez, eds. 1999. Catalogue of the vascular plants of Ecuador. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 75
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Ecuador	Manabí		Jørgensen, P. M. & S. León-Yánez, eds. 1999. Catalogue of the vascular plants of Ecuador. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 75
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Ecuador	Napo		Jørgensen, P. M. & S. León-Yánez, eds. 1999. Catalogue of the vascular plants of Ecuador. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 75
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Peru	Amazonas		Brako, L. & J. L. Zarucchi. 1993. Catalogue of the flowering plants and gymnosperms of Peru. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 45
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Peru	Cusco		Brako, L. & J. L. Zarucchi. 1993. Catalogue of the flowering plants and gymnosperms of Peru. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 45
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Peru	Huánuco		Brako, L. & J. L. Zarucchi. 1993. Catalogue of the flowering plants and gymnosperms of Peru. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 45
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Peru	Loreto		Brako, L. & J. L. Zarucchi. 1993. Catalogue of the flowering plants and gymnosperms of Peru. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 45
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Peru	Piura		Brako, L. & J. L. Zarucchi. 1993. Catalogue of the flowering plants and gymnosperms of Peru. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 45
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Peru	Ucayali		Brako, L. & J. L. Zarucchi. 1993. Catalogue of the flowering plants and gymnosperms of Peru. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 45
4	Naturalized	Pacific	Northwestern Pacific	United States	Northern Mariana Islands		Govaerts, R. & D. A. Simpson. 2007. World checklist of Cyperaceae, sedges.

Native
Africa

MACARONESIA: Cabo Verde
WEST-CENTRAL TROPICAL AFRICA: Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea
WEST TROPICAL AFRICA: Benin, Côte D'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo
WESTERN INDIAN OCEAN: Seychelles

Northern America

SOUTHEASTERN U.S.A.: United States [Florida]
NORTHERN MEXICO: Mexico [Baja California Sur, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas (s.)]
SOUTHERN MEXICO: Mexico [Campeche, Chiapas, Colima, Guerrero, Jalisco, Michoacán de Ocampo, Nayarit, Oaxaca, Quintana Roo, Tabasco, Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, Yucatán]

Southern America

CARIBBEAN: Aruba, Netherlands Antilles, Antigua and Barbuda [Antigua], Bahamas, Barbados, Cuba, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Lucia, Montserrat, Trinidad and Tobago, United States [Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, U.S.], St. Vincent and Grenadines [Saint Vincent], Virgin Islands (British)
CENTRAL AMERICA: Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, El Salvador
NORTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela
BRAZIL: Brazil
WESTERN SOUTH AMERICA: Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador [Galápagos, Azuay, El Oro, Esmeraldas, Manabí, Napo], Peru [Amazonas, Cusco, Huánuco, Loreto, Piura, Ucayali]
SOUTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: Paraguay

Naturalized
Pacific

NORTHWESTERN PACIFIC: United States [Northern Mariana Islands]

Reference(s)

Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. et al. 1996. Flora of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 78:1-581.
Boggan, J. et al. 1997. Checklist of the plants of the Guianas, ed. 2
Brako, L. & J. L. Zarucchi. 1993. Catalogue of the flowering plants and gymnosperms of Peru. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 45
FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
Govaerts, R. & D. A. Simpson. 2007. World checklist of Cyperaceae, sedges.
Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles. Note: = Mariscus ligularis (L.) Urb.
Jardín Botánico Nacional. 1998-. Flora de la República de Cuba
Jørgensen, P. M. & S. León-Yánez, eds. 1999. Catalogue of the vascular plants of Ecuador. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 75
McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
Proctor, G. R. 1984. Flora of the Cayman Islands. Kew Bulletin Additional Series XI.

Economic Uses

Usage	Type	Note	Reference
Weed			Hickman, J. C., ed. 1993. The Jepson manual: higher plants of California

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=447248. Accessed 9 October 2026.