Cyperus balbisii Kunth

Herbs, annual or perennial, cespitose. Culms trigonous, 15–60 cm × 1–3 mm, glabrous. Leaves 2–6, flat to V-shaped, 6–30(–40) cm × 2–4 mm. Inflorescences: spikes broadly ellipsoid, 5–45 × 10–30(–45) mm; rays (2–)5–9, (0.3–)3–10 cm; rachis 4–17 mm; bracts 5–6, horizontal to ascending, V-shaped, 1.5–30 cm × 0.5–4 mm; rachilla persistent, wings hyaline, 0.4–0.5 mm wide. Spikelets 5–30, pale greenish white or stramineous, compressed, linear-lanceoloid, 7–35 × (1.2–)1.4–2 mm; floral scales deciduous, 6–34, spreading or appressed, laterally greenish white, often reddish or brown speckled, medially green, laterally 3–5-ribbed, medially 3-ribbed, elliptic, (2.2–)3–4(–4.4) × (1.2–)1.8–2.2 mm, apex acute. Flowers: anthers 0.6 mm; styles 0.6–1.2 mm; stigmas 1–1.4(–1.7) mm. Achenes reddish brown to dark brown, stipitate, narrowly ellipsoid, 1.4–2 × 0.6–0.9 mm, apex apiculate, surfaces puncticulate.

Fruiting summer. Disturbed, wet soils; 0 m; introduced; Fla.; West Indies; Central America; South America; Africa.