Cyperus flavescensL.

yellow flatsedgeyellow galingale

WFO wfo-0000373464 Accepted WFO 2026-06 8 photographs CC0 / CC BY / CC BY-SA

Plate 1 figs. a–h · 8 separate observations

Cyperus flavescens, photographed by Josep Gesti
fig. a Josep Gesti, CC BY-SA 4.0 / 2021-10-10 / obs. 162924414
Cyperus flavescens, photographed by Patrick Hacker
fig. b Patrick Hacker, CC BY 4.0 / obs. 152452391
Cyperus flavescens, photographed by Summit Metro Parks
fig. c Summit Metro Parks, CC BY 4.0 / obs. 95177874
Cyperus flavescens, photographed by Quinten Wiegersma
fig. d Quinten Wiegersma, CC BY 4.0 / obs. 92368278
Cyperus flavescens, photographed by John Abrams
fig. e John Abrams, CC BY 4.0 / obs. 90917564
Cyperus flavescens, photographed by Reuven Martin
fig. f Reuven Martin, CC0 1.0 / obs. 53842673
Cyperus flavescens, photographed by Zihao Wang
fig. g Zihao Wang, CC BY 4.0 / obs. 61809898
Cyperus flavescens, photographed by Jay Horn
fig. h Jay Horn, CC BY 4.0 / obs. 188643937

Every figure is a research-grade observation under CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA, rehosted with the photographer’s name, the licence and the observation it came from. Photographs under a NonCommercial licence are excluded from this site and are never stored, which costs us a great many pictures and is not negotiable.

Native range 152 botanical countries

Regions where Cyperus flavescens is native: Algeria, Angola, Azores, Benin, Botswana, Burkina, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Provinces, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, DR Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, KwaZulu-Natal, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Madeira, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Northern Provinces, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan-South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, East Aegean Is., Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Lebanon-Syria, North Caucasus, Palestine, Tadzhikistan, Transcaucasus, Türkiye, Uzbekistan, Yemen, Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Pakistan, Vietnam, West Himalaya, Albania, Baltic States, Belarus, Bulgaria, Central European Russia, Corse, Czechia-Slovakia, East European Russia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Kriti, Krym, Northwest European Russia, NW. Balkan Pen., Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sardegna, Sicilia, South European Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Türkiye-in-Europe, Ukraine, Alabama, Arkansas, California, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brazil North, Brazil South, Brazil West-Central, Central American Pacific Is., Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panamá, Puerto Rico, Trinidad-Tobago, Venezuela, Windward Is. AlgeriaAngolaBeninBotswanaBurkinaBurundiCameroonCape ProvincesCentral African RepublicChadCongoDR CongoEgyptEritreaEswatiniEthiopiaGabonGambiaGhanaGuineaGuinea-BissauIvory CoastKenyaKwaZulu-NatalLesothoLiberiaMadagascarMalawiMaliMauritaniaMoroccoMozambiqueNamibiaNigerNigeriaNorthern ProvincesRwandaSenegalSierra LeoneSudan-South SudanTanzaniaTogoTunisiaUgandaZambiaZimbabweAfghanistanEast Aegean Is.IranIraqKazakhstanKirgizstanLebanon-SyriaNorth CaucasusPalestineTadzhikistanTranscaucasusTürkiyeUzbekistanYemenBangladeshIndiaMyanmarPakistanVietnamWest HimalayaAlbaniaBaltic StatesBelarusBulgariaCentral European RussiaCorseCzechia-SlovakiaEast European RussiaFranceGermanyGreeceHungaryItalyKritiKrymNorthwest European RussiaNW. Balkan Pen.PolandPortugalRomaniaSiciliaSouth European RussiaSpainSwitzerlandTürkiye-in-EuropeUkraineAlabamaArkansasCaliforniaFloridaGeorgiaIllinoisIndianaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMarylandMassachusettsMexico CentralMexico GulfMexico NortheastMexico NorthwestMexico SoutheastMexico SouthwestMichiganMississippiMissouriNew JerseyNew YorkNorth CarolinaOhioOklahomaOntarioPennsylvaniaSouth CarolinaTennesseeTexasVirginiaWest VirginiaBelizeBoliviaBrazil NorthBrazil SouthBrazil West-CentralCentral American Pacific Is.ColombiaCosta RicaCubaDominican RepublicEl SalvadorGuatemalaGuyanaHondurasJamaicaNicaraguaPanamáPuerto RicoTrinidad-TobagoVenezuela AzoresMadeiraSardegnaDelawareDistrict of ColumbiaBermudaWindward Is.
Native distribution of Cyperus flavescens, after Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants. Introduced, extinct and doubtful records are excluded, so this is where the plant is from, not everywhere it now grows. Regions too small to draw at this scale are marked with a dot.
RegionTDWG codeContinent
Algeria ALG AFRICA
Angola ANG
Azores AZO
Benin BEN
Botswana BOT
Burkina BKN
Burundi BUR
Cameroon CMN
Cape Provinces CPP
Central African Republic CAF
Chad CHA
Congo CON
DR Congo ZAI
Egypt EGY
Eritrea ERI
Eswatini SWZ
Ethiopia ETH
Gabon GAB
Gambia GAM
Ghana GHA
Guinea GUI
Guinea-Bissau GNB
Ivory Coast IVO
Kenya KEN
KwaZulu-Natal NAT
Lesotho LES
Liberia LBR
Madagascar MDG
Madeira MDR
Malawi MLW
Mali MLI
Mauritania MTN
Morocco MOR
Mozambique MOZ
Namibia NAM
Niger NGR
Nigeria NGA
Northern Provinces TVL
Rwanda RWA
Senegal SEN
Sierra Leone SIE
Sudan-South Sudan SUD
Tanzania TAN
Togo TOG
Tunisia TUN
Uganda UGA
Zambia ZAM
Zimbabwe ZIM
Alabama ALA NORTHERN AMERICA
Arkansas ARK
California CAL
Delaware DEL
District of Columbia WDC
Florida FLA
Georgia GEO
Illinois ILL
Indiana INI
Kansas KAN
Kentucky KTY
Louisiana LOU
Maryland MRY
Massachusetts MAS
Mexico Central MXC
Mexico Gulf MXG
Mexico Northeast MXE
Mexico Northwest MXN
Mexico Southeast MXT
Mexico Southwest MXS
Michigan MIC
Mississippi MSI
Missouri MSO
New Jersey NWJ
New York NWY
North Carolina NCA
Ohio OHI
Oklahoma OKL
Ontario ONT
Pennsylvania PEN
South Carolina SCA
Tennessee TEN
Texas TEX
Virginia VRG
West Virginia WVA
Albania ALB EUROPE
Baltic States BLT
Belarus BLR
Bulgaria BUL
Central European Russia RUC
Corse COR
Czechia-Slovakia CZE
East European Russia RUE
France FRA
Germany GER
Greece GRC
Hungary HUN
Italy ITA
Kriti KRI
Krym KRY
Northwest European Russia RUW
NW. Balkan Pen. YUG
Poland POL
Portugal POR
Romania ROM
Sardegna SAR
Sicilia SIC
South European Russia RUS
Spain SPA
Switzerland SWI
Türkiye-in-Europe TUE
Ukraine UKR
Belize BLZ SOUTHERN AMERICA
Bermuda BER
Bolivia BOL
Brazil North BZN
Brazil South BZS
Brazil West-Central BZC
Central American Pacific Is. CPI
Colombia CLM
Costa Rica COS
Cuba CUB
Dominican Republic DOM
El Salvador ELS
Guatemala GUA
Guyana GUY
Honduras HON
Jamaica JAM
Nicaragua NIC
Panamá PAN
Puerto Rico PUE
Trinidad-Tobago TRT
Venezuela VEN
Windward Is. WIN
Afghanistan AFG ASIA-TEMPERATE
East Aegean Is. EAI
Iran IRN
Iraq IRQ
Kazakhstan KAZ
Kirgizstan KGZ
Lebanon-Syria LBS
North Caucasus NCS
Palestine PAL
Tadzhikistan TZK
Transcaucasus TCS
Türkiye TUR
Uzbekistan UZB
Yemen YEM
Bangladesh BAN ASIA-TROPICAL
India IND
Myanmar MYA
Pakistan PAK
Vietnam VIE
West Himalaya WHM

Region boundaries approximated from Natural Earth (public domain) and mapped to TDWG World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions (WGSRPD) level-3 botanical countries (Brummitt 2001). Indicative, not the official WGSRPD geometry.

Also published as 85 synonyms

A synonym is not an error. It is a record of botanists disagreeing, in print, about where this plant belongs. Each of these was somebody’s considered answer.

  • Chlorocyperus abyssinicus (Hochst. ex A.Rich.) Rikli
  • Chlorocyperus flavescens (L.) Rikli
  • Chlorocyperus intermedius Rikli
  • Cyperus abyssinicus Hochst. ex A.Rich.
  • Cyperus durandii Boeckeler
  • Cyperus eragrostis C.Krauss
  • Cyperus fallaciosus (Cherm.) Raymond
  • Cyperus flavens Pall.
  • Cyperus flavescens f. abyssinicus (Hochst. ex A.Rich.) Kük.
  • Cyperus flavescens f. caucasicus K.Koch
  • Cyperus flavescens f. compactus Asch. & Graebn.
  • Cyperus flavescens f. fontanesii (Kunth) Kük.
  • Cyperus flavescens f. gracillimus Asch. & Graebn.
  • Cyperus flavescens f. major Lojac.
  • Cyperus flavescens f. minor Gaudin
  • Cyperus flavescens f. monostachyus Sacc.
  • Cyperus flavescens f. paraensis (Nees) Kük.
  • Cyperus flavescens f. setaceus Kük.
  • Cyperus flavescens subsp. fallaciosus (Cherm.) Lye
  • Cyperus flavescens subsp. intermedius (Rikli) Lye
  • Cyperus flavescens subsp. microglumis (Lye) Lye
  • Cyperus flavescens subsp. tanaensis (Kük.) Lye
  • Cyperus flavescens subvar. mohrii Farw.
  • Cyperus flavescens var. abyssinicus (Hochst. ex A.Rich.) C.B.Clarke

and 61 more.

Sourcesevery claim on this page

  1. World Flora Online Plant List. accepted name, authority, classification. CC0. Retrieved 2026-07-12.
  2. iNaturalist. photographs and flowering annotations, CC0 / CC BY / CC BY-SA only. per photograph. Retrieved 2026-06-27.
  3. Wikidata. common name (P1843), joined on the World Flora Online identifier (P7715). CC0. Retrieved 2026-07-13.
  4. Kew, World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP v16). native distribution by TDWG level-3 botanical country, and life form. CC BY 3.0. Retrieved 2026-06-04.

We publish what we can source and we say so when we cannot. This page has no care advice and no toxicity claim, because we do not yet have those from a source we can cite.