Herbs, perennial, rhizomatous. Culms trigonous, (12-)30-80(-90) cm × 0.7-1.7 mm, glabrous or nearly so. Leaves flat to V-shaped, 20-45 cm × 2-4 mm, margins and keel minutely scabridulous. Inflorescences: spike 1, loosely ovoid to ovoid-ellipsoid, (1.5-)2.5-7 × (1-)1.5-3.5 cm; rays 1-4, 1-15 cm; rachis 1-2 cm; bracts 2-4, oblique or ascending, 1-15(-24) cm × 0.4-3.5 mm, keel, margins scabrid; rachilla ± deciduous, wingless. Spikelets (3-)8-40, linear, compressed-quadrangular, 8-18 × (2.4-)2.8-4 mm; floral scales deciduous, (2-)4-12, laterally light brown to reddish brown, medially green or light brown, laterally 2-3-ribbed, oblong-ovate, 1.6-2.6 × (1.5-)1.6-2.2(-2.4) mm, apex obtuse, sometimes mucronulate, medially glabrous. Flowers: anthers 0.4-0.6 mm; styles 0.3-0.6 mm; stigmas 0.6-1 mm. Achenes brownish, stipitate, ellipsoid, 1.6-2 × (0.7-)0.9-1 mm, stipe whitish, 0.1-0.2 mm, apex obtuse, slightly apiculate, surfaces papillose.

Fruiting summer. Arroyos, riverbanks, clearings in montane forests; 100-1300 m; Ariz., Tex.; Mexico.

Common Name: spectacular flatsedge

Duration: Perennial

Nativity: Native

Lifeform: Graminoid

General: Rhizomatous perennial forming small clumps from rhizomes 1-5 cm long, 2-5 mm in diameter, covered with fibrous brown scale remnants, stems 30-80 cm tall, stems 1-2 mm in diameter, three sided, smooth.

Vegetative: Leaves 3-5, 20-45 cm long, 2-4 mm wide, flat to v-shaped, margins and keel rough.

Inflorescence: Subtending bracts 2-4, 1-15 cm long, 0.5-3.5 mm wide, v-shaped, keel and margins scabrous, borne generally horizontally; rays 10-4, 1-15 cm long, spikes 2.5-7 cm long, 1.5-3.5 cm wide, loosely ovoid to ovoid-ellipsoid, rachis 10-30 mm long, 8-40 spikelets, 8-18 mm long, 2.8-4 mm wide, linear, compressed-quadrate, deciduous rachilla, flat, greenish to whitish or straw colored, 4-12 deciduous scales, 1.5-2.5 mm long, 1.5-2.5 mm wide, oblong-ovate, obtuse to sometimes spine tipped apex, light brown to reddish brown; achenes three sided, 1.5-2 mm long, ellipsoid, slightly apiculate to obtuse, whitish, faces slightly concave, surface papillose, dark brown to black.

Ecology: Found along arroyos and riverbanks and in clearings in montane forests from 4,000-5,500 ft (1219-1676 m); flowers July-September.

Notes: Very similar to C. manimae, distinguished by the lax spikes that are usually borne on rays.

Ethnobotany: Unknown

Etymology: Cyperus is from the Greek word meaning sedge, while spectabilis means spectacular.

Synonyms: Cyperus buckleyi

Editor: SBuckley, 2010