Fitness and growth of the ephemeral mudflat species Cyperus fuscus in river and anthropogenic habitats in response to fluctuating water-levels

•Cyperus fuscus follows a low-oxygen escape strategy when flooded.•The soil seed bank enables fast germination under various environmental conditions.•Plants from river habitats are best adapted to repeated and severe flooding.•Plants from secondary habitats are less adapted to flooding but still cope with it.