Cyperus giganteus (also known as piripiri) is a perennial herbaceous plant. It belongs to the genus Cyperus. Its native range extends from Jalisco in west-central Mexico as far south as Uruguay, and also grows on some islands in the Caribbean (Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and Trinidad). The species is sparingly naturalized in eastern Texas and southern Louisiana.Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant FamiliesTucker, G. C. 1994. Revision of the Mexican species of Cyperus (Cyperaceae). Systematic Botany Monographs 43: 1–213.Forzza, R. C. 2010. Lista de espécies Flora do Brasil . Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de JaneiroFunk, V. A., P. E. Berry, S. Alexander, T. H. Hollowell & C. L. Kelloff. 2007. Checklist of the Plants of the Guiana Shield (Venezuela: Amazonas, Bolivar, Delta Amacuro; Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana). Contributions from the United States National Herbarium 55: 1–584Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & Strong, M.T. (2012). Catalogue of seed plants of the West Indies. Smithsonian Contributions to Botany 98: 1-1192.Biota of North America Program, 2013 county distribution map
Description This species resembles the common papyrus Cyperus papyrus but has a much smaller umbel. It grows up to height.
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