''Cyperus capitatus'', known as capitate galingale or sand galingale is a species of

sedge The Cyperaceae () are a family of graminoid (grass-like), monocotyledonous flowering plants known as wikt:sedge, sedges. The family (biology), family is large; botanists have species description, described some 5,500 known species in about 90 ...

that is native to coasts of the Mediterranean and close by; it has no subspecies. It was first formally described by

Domenico Vandelli Domenico Agostino Vandelli (Padua, 8 July 1735 – Lisbon, 27 June 1816) was an Italian naturalist, who did most of his scientific work in Portugal. He studied at the University of Padua, from which he received a doctorate in Natural Philoso ...

in 1771.

Description

An unmistakable Cyperus growing in coastal sands, spreading by scaly undersand roots, with leaves mostly at the stem base, that are large, thick, blue-grey and U-shaped (often both broad and narrow-curled ones), and with bracts under the flowers resembling the leaves but with widened bases. The flowers form a single agglomerated head of spikelets, with the floret glumes large, broad (5-8 x 2.5-4 mm), membraneous-edged, with conspicuous tip points (mucro 1-3 mm).

Range and habitat

Mediterranean coastal sands, dunes and slacks and some coasts close by - Albania, Algeria, Baleares, Bulgaria, Canary Is., Cape Verde, Corse, Cyprus, East Aegean Is., Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Kriti, Lebanon-Syria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, North Caucasus, Palestine, Portugal, Sardegna, Sicilia, Sinai, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkey-in-Europe, Western Sahara, Yugoslavia. Plants of the World Online (with map)
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References

capitatus Plants described in 1771 Flora of France Flora of North Africa Flora of Southeastern Europe Flora of Southwestern Europe Flora of Western Asia Taxa named by Domenico Vandelli Grasses of Lebanon {{Cyperus-stub

Description

Range and habitat

See also

References