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Cyperus prolifer Lam.

Synonym	:	Cyperus aequalis Vahl
Family	:	Cyperaceae
Flowering and fruiting period	:	September-Februay
Distribution		Native of South Africa
Distribution in Kerala	:	Thrissur, Kozhikkode, Malappuram,Alappuzha, Ernakulam
Habitat	:	Grown as garden plant
IUCN status		Least concerned
Uses	:	Uses and cultural aspects No specific traditional uses are recorded for this plant in Africa, but on Madagascar it is used for basket making. Recently it has become available in the nursery trade for use in water feature plantings.
Key botanical Charcters :  Herbs, perennial, cespitose, rhizomatous; culms trigonous to terete, , soft (flattened in drying),glabrous, often flopping over and rooting at base of rays. Leaves: blades reduced to sheath.Inflorescences: rays 10-25 x 5-16 cm; second order rays 0.5-5 cm; bracts 2-3, horizontal or reflexed, 4-12 cm × 1.5-4 mm. Spikelets 1-30, linear-lanceoloid, ellipsoid to narrowly ovoid,compressed-quadrangular, ; floral scales 5-12, reddish brown, 1-3-ribbed,1.2-1.7 × 0.7-0.9 mm, apex mucronulate. Flowers: stamens 3; anthers 1-1.2 mm; styles 0.3mm; stigmas 1-1.3 mm. Achenes brown, obovoid, , base stipelike to nearly cuneate, apex obtuse, surfaces finely reticulate.