Search / Plant Profile / Cyperus grayoides

Plant Profile

Mohlenbrock's Umbrella-sedge (Cyperus grayoides)

Global Rank: G3 - Vulnerable
Legal Status: N/A
Family: Cyperaceae
State: AR, IL, LA, MO, TX
Nature Serve ID: 142876
Lifeform: Graminoid
Date Inducted in National Collection: 02/10/1987

Description:

This sedge is fairly abundant in the few locations where it occurs. It requires open and deep sand dunes that are regularly disturbed by a variety of factors. While development has clearly hurt this population, as has fire suppression, the impact of grazing depends a great deal on the animal doing the grazing. Grazing by domestic animals appears to hurt these plants (NatureServe Explorer 2002) while grazing by native wildlife seems to provide a form of disturbance that benefits the plants (IL DNR 2002). Natural disturbances have always been highly variable in their occurrence and C. grayoides has adapted by producing seeds that remain viable for at least 15 years in seed banks (IL DNR 2002).This plant reaches a full height of 8-48cm tall, with fibrous and slender roots. The leaves of this plant are grayish green, and has inflorescences of unequal umbel with spikes. The spikes come in clusters of 2-7, while each spike has 3-24 spikelets. This plant blooms from July to September in most places, although in Texas the plant can bloom from May until November, depending on rainfall. The fruit matures from mid-July to mid-August.

Where is Mohlenbrock's Umbrella-sedge (Cyperus grayoides) located in the wild?

Habitat:

This sedge is found in disturbed dune areas including open dune sand to open sandy spaces in early successional sand prairie and blowouts in more established dunes. This species is occasionally found along disturbed roadsides but this is very rare (IL DNR 2002).

Distribution:

Arkansas, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, and Texas (NatureServe 2001).

States & Provinces:

Mohlenbrock's Umbrella-sedge can be found in Arkansas, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, Texas

Which CPC Partners conserve Mohlenbrock's Umbrella-sedge (Cyperus grayoides)?

Holden Forests and Gardens

Conservation Actions

Nature Serve Biotics

05/02/2017

Cyperus grayioides is fairly abundant where it occurs, in open areas of deep, disturbed sands. It is restricted to areas with periodic disturbance by fire, wind, and/or erosion, however, and is vulnerable to encroachment by woody or weedy plant species. Sand prairie habitats have declined severely as a result of agricultural and residential development, fire suppression, and grazing. Many populations of C. grayioides occur on public lands, in which fires and natural soil disturbances are more likely to occur; in Missouri, however, all populations of this species currently occur on private lands.

Lindsey Parsons

01/01/2010

Residential development Agriculture Fire Suppression Reduction in native grazing ungulates (IL DNR 2002) Grazing by domesticated animals (NatureServe 2001)

Lindsey Parsons

01/01/2010

C. grayoides is found in 6 counties in Illinois, 3 counties (with 4 populations) in Missouri, 21 counties in Texas, 4 parishes in Louisiana, and 4 sites in the National Texas Forest.

Lindsey Parsons

01/01/2010

None known.

Lindsey Parsons

01/01/2010

Restoration suitable habitat in several national forests in Texas is currently underway after severe storm damage that occurred in 1998. (Turner 1999) The Illinois DNR Division of Natural Heritage is monitoring a population located in a nature preserve in Mason County. (IL DNR 2002)