Cyperus capitatus



Cyperus capitatus, known as Capitate Galingale is a species of sedge that is native to coasts of the Mediterranean and close by; it has no subspecies.

It was first formally described by Domenico Vandelli 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.