| Etymology | Genus | After Peter Kylling, a 17th century Danish botanist. |
|---|---|---|
| Species | Woods or grove, perhaps referring to the dense clusters they usually grow together in. | |
| Family | Cyperaceae | |
| Synonyms | Cyperus kyllingia f. humilis (Boeckeler) Kük. | |
| Common Names | White Kyllinga | |
| Status | Undetermined | |
| Form | Herb | |
| Native Distribution | Africa, China, Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Australia, Pacific Islands | |
Diagnostics:
Kyllinga nemoralis is a very common weed of managed lawns. It has an upright form, with an inflorescence spike at the tip, and radiating leafy bracts surrounding it, typical of all Kyllinga species.
It can be easily differentiated from other congeners by its white-coloured inflorescence spike.
Interesting Facts:
The scientific name of Kyllinga nemoralis appears to be deprecated in favour of Cyperus mindorensis. In fact, molecular studies have clumped the entire genus of Kyllinga into Cyperus, despite Kyllinga species having unique inflorescence features (Larridon et al., 2014). For now, I will still use its old name of Kyllinga nemoralis based on my strict adherence to The Plant List website, which still uses the old name officially.
A decoction of the White Kyllinga's rhizomes is used to treat fever, while the entire plant is known to be used to treat sprains and bruises (NParks, 2013).
Form of the White Kyllinga.
Distinctive white inflorescence spike.
Triangular stem.
References
Larridon I, Reynders M, Bauters K. Huygh W. (2014) Taxonomic changes in C4 Cyperus (Cypereae, Cyperoideae, Cyperaceae): combining the sedge genera Ascolepis, Kyllinga and Pycreus into Cyperus s.l. Phytotaxa, 166: 33-48.
FloraFaunaWeb. (2013) Kyllinga nemoralis (J.R.Forst. & G.Forst.) Dandy ex Hutch. & Dalziel. National Parks Board, Singapore. https://florafaunaweb.nparks.gov.sg. Accessed on 4-Nov-2018.
Author: Siyang
Posted: 2018-11-04