Cyperus erythrorhizos is a plant of wet areas such as rivers and ditches, generally at low elevations. It gets its common and scientific names from the red color of its roots. This sedge grows to a maximum of a meter in height, but is usually quite a bit shorter. It may have a number of long, wispy leaves around the base of the plant. The
inflorescence may contain one to several spikes, each spike containing 20 to over 100
spikelets. Each spikelet is light greenish brown to reddish brown and is made up of up to 30
bracted flowers. The fruit is a glossy
achene about a millimetre long.[2]
^Douglas, G.W., Meidinger, D. & Penny, J.L. (2002). Rare Native Vascular Plants of British Columbia, ed. 2: 1-358. Province of British Columbia.
^Novelo, A. & L. Ramos. 2005. Vegetación acuática. Cap. 5: 111–144. In J. Bueno, F Álvarez & S. Santiago. Biodiversidad del Estado de Tabasco. CONABIO-UNAM, México.
^Pérez J., L. A., M. Sousa Sánchez, A. M. Hanan-Alipi, F. Chiang Cabrera & P. Tenorio L. 2005. Vegetación terrestre. 65–110. In J. Bueno, F Álvarez & S. Santiago. Biodiversidad del Estado de Tabasco. CONABIO-UNAM, México.
^Tucker, G. C. 1994. Revision of the Mexican species of Cyperus (Cyperaceae). Systematic Botany Monographs 43: 1–213.
^Espejo Serna, A. & López-Ferrari, A.R. (1997). Las Monocotiledóneas Mexicanas una Sinopsis Florística 5: 1-98. Consejo Nacional de la Flora de México, México D.F.