Foxtail flatsedge vs Nutgrass

Cyperus alopecuroides compared with Cyperus rotundus

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Foxtail flatsedge	Nutgrass
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum same	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class same	Liliopsida (Monocots)	Liliopsida (Monocots)
Order same	Poales (Grasses)	Poales (Grasses)
Family same	Cyperaceae	Cyperaceae
Genus same	Cyperus	Cyperus
Species	Cyperus alopecuroides	Cyperus rotundus

Evolutionary Relationship

Foxtail flatsedge and Nutgrass share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Cyperus.

Conservation Status

Foxtail flatsedge

LC — Least Concern

Nutgrass

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Foxtail flatsedge	Nutgrass
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Foxtail flatsedge

Habitat

Inhabits deserts and xeric shrublands and flooded grasslands and savannas within the Palearctic biogeographic realm.

Range

Distributed across Egypt, Greece, Japan, and United States.

Nutgrass

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, flooded grasslands and savannas, and montane grasslands and shrublands, among 8 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (18 countries), Asia (20 countries), Europe (11 countries), North America (12 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (14 countries), and South America (7 countries).

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇪🇬 Egypt 🇺🇸 United States