Umbrella-sedges in Dorchester Co., Maryland (9/16/2025). (c) Jim Brighton, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
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3 Records
Status
Maryland has two species of Fuirena. Neither is especially common but they may be locally abundant. Hairy umbrella-sedge (Fuirena squarrosa) is more frequently encountered. Dwarf umbrella-sedge (Fuirena pumila) is rare in Maryland (S2S3).
Description
Of the two Maryland species, one is annual and the other perennial. Even so, mature achenes are generally needed to confidently identify umbrella-sedges. Close-up photos of the inflorescence with a ruler will aid identification. Hairy umbrella-sedge (Fuirena squarrosa, a perennial) has perianth bristles that are shorter than the achene body (1/2 to 3/4 the length of the achene) and perianth scales that are acuminate but not awn-tipped. Dwarf umbrella-sedge (Fuirena pumila, an annual) has bristles that are longer than the achene body and perianth scales with an awn.
Where To Find
Fuirena species are found on the Coastal Plain in relatively open, seasonally damp areas (e.g., depressions, Delmarva Bays, and ditches).
Citations
No citations linked for this taxon yet.
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Umbrella-sedges in Dorchester Co., Maryland (9/16/2025). (c) Jim Brighton, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
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Source: Wikipedia
| Fuirena | |
|---|---|
| |
| Fuirena squarrosa | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Poales |
| Family: | Cyperaceae |
| Subfamily: | Cyperoideae |
| Tribe: | Fuireneae |
| Genus: | Fuirena Rottb.[1] |
| Species | |
|
See text | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
Fuirena, called umbrella sedges or umbrella grasses, are a genus of flowering plants in the sedge family (Cyperaceae), with a worldwide distribution, chiefly in the tropics and temperate zones. They are named for Danish physician and early botanist Georg Fuiren (Jorgen Furenius), 1581–1628.[3]
Species
[edit]55 species are currently accepted.[2]
- Fuirena abnormalis C.B.Clarke
- Fuirena angolensis (C.B.Clarke) Lye ex J.Raynal & Roessler
- Fuirena arenosa R.Br.
- Fuirena bernieri Cherm.
- Fuirena bidgoodiae Hoenselaar & Muasya
- Fuirena boreocoerulescens Lye
- Fuirena breviseta (Coville) Coville
- Fuirena bullifera J.Raynal & Roessler
- Fuirena bushii Kral
- Fuirena camptotricha C.Wright
- Fuirena ciliaris (L.) Roxb.
- Fuirena claviseta Peter
- Fuirena coerulescens Steud.
- Fuirena cuspidata (Roth) Kunth
- Fuirena ecklonii Nees
- Fuirena enodis C.B.Clarke
- Fuirena felicis S.S.Hooper
- Fuirena hirsuta (P.J.Bergius) P.L.Forbes
- Fuirena incompleta Nees
- Fuirena incrassata S.T.Blake
- Fuirena lainzii Luceño & M.Alves
- Fuirena leptostachya Oliv.
- Fuirena longa Chapm.
- Fuirena microcarpa Lye
- Fuirena moritziana Boeckeler
- Fuirena mutali Muasya & Nordal
- Fuirena nudiflora S.T.Blake
- Fuirena nyasensis Nelmes
- Fuirena obcordata P.L.Forbes
- Fuirena ochreata Nees ex Kunth
- Fuirena oedipus C.B.Clarke
- Fuirena pachyrrhiza Ridl.
- Fuirena ponmudiensis Ravi & Anil Kumar
- Fuirena pubescens (Poir.) Kunth
- Fuirena pumila (Torr.) Spreng.
- Fuirena quercina Cherm.
- Fuirena repens Boeckeler
- Fuirena rhizomatifera Tang & F.T.Wang
- Fuirena robusta Kunth
- Fuirena sagittata Lye
- Fuirena scirpoidea Michx.
- Fuirena simplex Vahl
- Fuirena simpsonii Ravi, N.Mohanan & Shaju
- Fuirena somaliensis Lye
- Fuirena squarrosa Michx.
- Fuirena stephani Ramos & Diego
- Fuirena striatella Lye
- Fuirena stricta Steud.
- Fuirena swamyi Govind.
- Fuirena tenuis P.L.Forbes
- Fuirena trilobites C.B.Clarke
- Fuirena tuwensis M.B.Deshp. & Shah
- Fuirena umbellata Rottb.
- Fuirena uncinata (Willd.) Kunth
- Fuirena welwitschii Ridl.
- Fuirena zambesiaca Lye
Formerly placed here
[edit]- Cryptangium verticillatum (Spreng.) Vitta (as Fuirena verticillata Spreng.)
References
[edit]- ^ Descr. Icon. Rar. Pl.: 70 (1773)
- ^ a b "Fuirena Rottb". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 28 August 2025.
- ^ Britton, Nathaniel; Brown, Addison (1896). An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions; Volume I: Ophioglossaceae to Aizoaceae Ferns to Carpet-Weed. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. p. 274.