Pycreus elegantulus (Steud.) C.B. Clarke

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Photo: Petra Ballings
Dam 1, Chelinda Camp, Nyika National Park.

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Synonyms:	Cyperus atronitens Hochst. Cyperus elegantulus Steud. Cyperus niger Ruiz & Pav. subsp. elegantulus (Steud.) Lye Pycreus elegantulus (Steud.) C.B. Clarke var. submelanostachyus Kük. Pycreus niger (Ruiz & Pav.) Cufod. subsp. elegantulus (Steud.) Lye
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Description:	Perennial sedge up to 75 cm high, with tufted culms, growing from slender stolons. Leaves 2-4 per culm, linear, up to 40 cm long with basal sheaths pale brown. Involucral bracts 3-5, leaf-like, spreading, 11-31 cm long. Inflorescence capitate or simple with 1-5 branches up to 5.5 cm long; spikelets in dense clusters, up to 35 per cluster. Spikelets, ovoid, 3.5 - 10 mm long with axis often curved; glumes dark brown to black.
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Derivation of specific name:	elegantulus: small and elegant.
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Worldwide distribution:	Nigeria, Cameroon, DRC, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. Also in tropical America.
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Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Literature:	Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 301. as Pycreus niger elegantulus Hoenselaar, K., Verdcourt, B. & Beentje, H.J. (2010). Cyperaceae Flora of Tropical East Africa Pages 303 - 304. Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 89. Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 112. As Pycreus niger Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Page 77. as Cyperus elegantulus elegantulus

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Flora of Malawi: Pycreus elegantulus
Flora of Zambia: Pycreus elegantulus
Flora of Zimbabwe: Pycreus elegantulus

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Pycreus elegantulus
African Plant Database: Pycreus elegantulus
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Pycreus elegantulus
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Pycreus elegantulus
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Pycreus elegantulus
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Pycreus elegantulus
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Pycreus elegantulus
JSTOR Plant Science: Pycreus elegantulus
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Pycreus elegantulus
Plants of the World Online: Pycreus elegantulus
Tropicos: Pycreus elegantulus
Wikipedia: Pycreus elegantulus