Cyperus - Ecology

Ecology

Cyperus species are eaten by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species, including Batrachedra cuniculata. The seeds and tubers are an important food for many small birds and mammals.

Cyperus microcristatus and C. multifolius are possibly extinct; the former was only found once, in 1995, and the latter has not been seen in the last 200 years. The "true" papyrus sedge of Ancient Egypt, C. papyrus ssp. hadidii, is also very rare today due to draining of its wetland habitat; feared extinct in the mid-20th century, it is still found at a few sites in the Wadi El Natrun region and northern Sudan.

Some tuber-bearing species on the other hand, most significantly the Purple Nutsedge (C. rotundus), are considered invasive weeds.