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Cyperus lentiginosus Millsp. & Chase
Latin American flatsedge

Family: Cyperaceae

Group: Monocot

Substrate: Terrestrial

Habit: Herb

Perennation: Perennial

Native Range: Southern United States (Florida, Texas), Greater Antilles (Cuba), Mexico (Tamaulipas, Yucatan peninsula, Chiapas), northern Central America (Belize, Guatemala).

Map of select IRC data for peninsular Florida

IRC SOUTH FLORIDA Status: Presumed Extirpated or Extinct in the Wild

SOUTH FLORIDA Occurrence: Presumed Extirpated

SOUTH FLORIDA Native Status: Native

South Florida History and Distribution: Not included in Rare Plants of South Florida (Gann et al. 2002. Treated as nonnative in Florida by the Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants, but as native to South Florida by Weakley (2022). This was presumably collected in Key West twice between 1836 and 1853 (one specimen states "Key West" and the other "Florida"). It is native to Cuba, and tropical America including the Yucatan; we treat it as native and presumed extirpated in South Florida.

SOUTH FLORIDA Cultivated Status: Not Cultivated

Comments: For an illustration, visit the Flora of North America website. For a specimen image, visit the New York Botanical Garden Virtual Herbarium.

Other data on Cyperus lentiginosus available from :

Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants

Cyperus lentiginosus has been found in the following county :
Occurrence Native Status
Monroe County (Keys) Presumed Extirpated Not Native, Naturalized

Cyperus lentiginosus has been found in the following habitat :
Disturbed Upland