Cyperus squarrosusL.

bearded flatsedge

WFO wfo-0000382899 Accepted WFO 2026-06 8 photographs CC0 / CC BY

Plate 1 figs. a–h · 8 separate observations

Cyperus squarrosus, photographed by Ryan Sorrells
fig. a Ryan Sorrells, CC BY 4.0 / 2021-08-17 / obs. 151661605
Cyperus squarrosus, photographed by Norma Malinowski
fig. b Norma Malinowski, CC BY 4.0 / obs. 147362313
Cyperus squarrosus, photographed by Rob Foster
fig. c Rob Foster, CC BY 4.0 / obs. 146351190
Cyperus squarrosus, photographed by Lynn Harper
fig. d Lynn Harper, CC0 1.0 / obs. 93621796
Cyperus squarrosus, photographed by Summit Metro Parks
fig. e Summit Metro Parks, CC BY 4.0 / obs. 90694371
Cyperus squarrosus, photographed by Reuven Martin
fig. f Reuven Martin, CC0 1.0 / obs. 87642687
Cyperus squarrosus, photographed by botanygirl
fig. g botanygirl, CC BY 4.0 / obs. 56823909
Cyperus squarrosus, photographed by Tyler Bishop
fig. h Tyler Bishop, CC BY 4.0 / obs. 52305635

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 150 botanical countries

Regions where Cyperus squarrosus is native: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina, Burundi, Cape Provinces, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, DR Congo, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Free State, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, KwaZulu-Natal, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Northern Provinces, Rwanda, Senegal, Socotra, Somalia, Sudan-South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, China South-Central, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Tibet, Yemen, Andaman Is., Assam, Bangladesh, East Himalaya, India, Lesser Sunda Is., Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, West Himalaya, New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia, Alabama, Alberta, Arizona, Arkansas, British Columbia, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Manitoba, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Brunswick, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Québec, Rhode I., South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Argentina South, Aruba, Bahamas, Bolivia, Brazil North, Brazil Northeast, Brazil West-Central, Chile Central, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Galápagos, Haiti, Leeward Is., Netherlands Antilles, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Turks-Caicos Is., Uruguay, Venezuela AngolaBeninBotswanaBurkinaBurundiCape ProvincesCentral African RepublicChadDR CongoEritreaEswatiniEthiopiaFree StateGabonGambiaGhanaGuineaGuinea-BissauIvory CoastKenyaKwaZulu-NatalMadagascarMalawiMaliMauritaniaMozambiqueNamibiaNigerNigeriaNorthern ProvincesRwandaSenegalSomaliaSudan-South SudanTanzaniaTogoUgandaZambiaZimbabweAfghanistanChina South-CentralOmanSaudi ArabiaTibetYemenAssamBangladeshEast HimalayaIndiaLesser Sunda Is.MyanmarNepalPakistanSri LankaThailandVietnamWest HimalayaNew South WalesNorthern TerritoryQueenslandSouth AustraliaVictoriaWestern AustraliaAlabamaAlbertaArizonaArkansasBritish ColumbiaCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutFloridaGeorgiaIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineManitobaMarylandMassachusettsMexico CentralMexico GulfMexico NortheastMexico NorthwestMexico SoutheastMexico SouthwestMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew BrunswickNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOntarioOregonPennsylvaniaQuébecSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyomingArgentina NortheastArgentina NorthwestArgentina SouthBoliviaBrazil NorthBrazil NortheastBrazil West-CentralChile CentralColombiaCubaEcuadorHaitiParaguayPeruPuerto RicoUruguayVenezuela Cape VerdeAndaman Is.DelawareDistrict of ColumbiaRhode I.ArubaBahamasGalápagosLeeward Is.Netherlands AntillesTurks-Caicos Is.
Native distribution of Cyperus squarrosus, 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
Alabama ALA NORTHERN AMERICA
Alberta ABT
Arizona ARI
Arkansas ARK
British Columbia BRC
California CAL
Colorado COL
Connecticut CNT
Delaware DEL
District of Columbia WDC
Florida FLA
Georgia GEO
Idaho IDA
Illinois ILL
Indiana INI
Iowa IOW
Kansas KAN
Kentucky KTY
Louisiana LOU
Maine MAI
Manitoba MAN
Maryland MRY
Massachusetts MAS
Mexico Central MXC
Mexico Gulf MXG
Mexico Northeast MXE
Mexico Northwest MXN
Mexico Southeast MXT
Mexico Southwest MXS
Michigan MIC
Minnesota MIN
Mississippi MSI
Missouri MSO
Montana MNT
Nebraska NEB
Nevada NEV
New Brunswick NBR
New Hampshire NWH
New Jersey NWJ
New Mexico NWM
New York NWY
North Carolina NCA
North Dakota NDA
Ohio OHI
Oklahoma OKL
Ontario ONT
Oregon ORE
Pennsylvania PEN
Québec QUE
Rhode I. RHO
South Carolina SCA
South Dakota SDA
Tennessee TEN
Texas TEX
Utah UTA
Vermont VER
Virginia VRG
Washington WAS
West Virginia WVA
Wisconsin WIS
Wyoming WYO
Angola ANG AFRICA
Benin BEN
Botswana BOT
Burkina BKN
Burundi BUR
Cape Provinces CPP
Cape Verde CVI
Central African Republic CAF
Chad CHA
DR Congo ZAI
Eritrea ERI
Eswatini SWZ
Ethiopia ETH
Free State OFS
Gabon GAB
Gambia GAM
Ghana GHA
Guinea GUI
Guinea-Bissau GNB
Ivory Coast IVO
Kenya KEN
KwaZulu-Natal NAT
Madagascar MDG
Malawi MLW
Mali MLI
Mauritania MTN
Mozambique MOZ
Namibia NAM
Niger NGR
Nigeria NGA
Northern Provinces TVL
Rwanda RWA
Senegal SEN
Socotra SOC
Somalia SOM
Sudan-South Sudan SUD
Tanzania TAN
Togo TOG
Uganda UGA
Zambia ZAM
Zimbabwe ZIM
Argentina Northeast AGE SOUTHERN AMERICA
Argentina Northwest AGW
Argentina South AGS
Aruba ARU
Bahamas BAH
Bolivia BOL
Brazil North BZN
Brazil Northeast BZE
Brazil West-Central BZC
Chile Central CLC
Colombia CLM
Cuba CUB
Ecuador ECU
Galápagos GAL
Haiti HAI
Leeward Is. LEE
Netherlands Antilles NLA
Paraguay PAR
Peru PER
Puerto Rico PUE
Turks-Caicos Is. TCI
Uruguay URU
Venezuela VEN
Andaman Is. AND ASIA-TROPICAL
Assam ASS
Bangladesh BAN
East Himalaya EHM
India IND
Lesser Sunda Is. LSI
Myanmar MYA
Nepal NEP
Pakistan PAK
Sri Lanka SRL
Thailand THA
Vietnam VIE
West Himalaya WHM
Afghanistan AFG ASIA-TEMPERATE
China South-Central CHC
Oman OMA
Saudi Arabia SAU
Tibet CHT
Yemen YEM
New South Wales NSW AUSTRALASIA
Northern Territory NTA
Queensland QLD
South Australia SOA
Victoria VIC
Western Australia WAU

Not drawn on the map: Socotra. We hold no public-domain boundary for this region, so it is listed rather than guessed at.

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 34 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 inflexus (Muhl.) Palla
  • Cyperus aristatus Rottb.
  • Cyperus aristatus f. falciculosus (Liebm.) Kük.
  • Cyperus aristatus f. inflexus (Muhl.) C.B.Clarke
  • Cyperus aristatus var. floribundus E.G.Camus
  • Cyperus aristatus var. inflexus (Muhl.) Boeckeler ex Kük.
  • Cyperus aristatus var. perennis M.E.Jones
  • Cyperus aristatus var. runyonii O'Neill
  • Cyperus aristatus var. semiglobosus Kük.
  • Cyperus aristatus var. versicolor (Nees) Boeckeler
  • Cyperus arsitatus var. perennis M.E.Jones
  • Cyperus aureus J.Presl & C.Presl
  • Cyperus brownii Roem. & Schult.
  • Cyperus falciculosus Liebm.
  • Cyperus inflexus Muhl.
  • Cyperus inflexus var. acaulis Hook.f.
  • Cyperus inflexus var. elongatus Hook.f.
  • Cyperus purshii Roem. & Schult.
  • Cyperus pygmaeus Nutt.
  • Cyperus squarrosus var. congestus Benth.
  • Cyperus squarrosus var. cylindraceus Benth.
  • Cyperus squarrosus var. runyonii (O'Neill) S.D.Jones & Wipff
  • Cyperus uncinatus R.Br.
  • Cyperus versicolor Nees

and 10 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.