e-Key v3 - Schoenoxiphium
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Interactive keys to the identification of seed plants of southern Africa using keys based on plant morphology.

Cyperaceae - Caricoideae - Cariceae - Schoenoxiphium Nees

Description :

  • Perennials, tufted
  • Culms erect, with aerial nodes
  • Leaves basal and cauline, ligulate; sheath with adaxial apex truncate; blade linear, flat or setaceous, with or without keeled midrib, profile V-shaped
  • Inflorescence a reduced or large panicle
  • Spikelets unisexual or bisexual, florets unisexual; female floret subtended by, and partially or completely enclosed by, modified prophyll (perigynium) together with abaxial rachilla; rachilla sometimes vestigial, frequently carrying exserted male spikelet of 1-6 florets
  • Perianth 0
  • Stamens 1-3
  • Style 3-branched
  • Nutlet brown, ovate, oblong, elliptic or obovate, 3-angled to somewhat flattened, beaked, smooth

Nomenclature:

  • Schoenoxiphium Nees
    • Nees: 531 (1832)
    • Clarke: 297 (1898)
    • Kükenthal: 28 (1909)
    • Schonland: 66 (1922)
    • Gordon-Gray: 112 (1972)
    • Compton: 74 (1976)
    • Kukkonen: 819 (1983)
    • Bond & Goldblatt: 44 (1984)
    • Kukkonen: 364 (1986)
    • Forbes: 58 (1987)
    • Gordon-Gray: 162 (1995)
  • Carex L. in part
    • Thunberg: 14 (1794)
    • Clarke: 299 (1898)
  • Kobresia Willd. in part
    • Koyama: 37 (1961)

Distribution & Notes:

  • Global : Species ± 12; few in tropical Africa, widespread in southern Africa
  • Southern Africa : Northern Province, North-West, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Free State, Swaziland, KwaZulu-Natal, Lesotho, Western and Eastern Cape

References:

  • BOND, P. & GOLDBLATT, P. 1984. Plants of the Cape Flora: A descriptive catalogue. Journal of South African Botany Suppl. Vol. 13
  • CLARKE, C.B. 1898. Cyperaceae . Flora capensis 7
  • COMPTON, R.H. 1976. Cyperaceae . Flora of Swaziland. Journal of South African Botany Suppl. Vol. 11
  • FORBES, P.L. 1987. Cyperaceae . In T.K. Lowrey & S. Wright, The Flora of the Witwatersrand Vol. 1: The Monocotyledonae. Witwatersrand University Press, Johannesburg
  • GORDON-GRAY, K.D. 1972. Cyperaceae . In J.H. Ross, The Flora of Natal. Memoirs of the Botanical Survey of South Africa No. 39
  • GORDON-GRAY, K.D. 1995. Cyperaceae in Natal. Strelitzia 2
  • KOYAMA, T. 1961. Classification of the family Cyperaceae . Journal of the faculty of science, Tokyo University , Sect. III, Botany 8
  • KÜKENTHAL, G. 1909. Cyperaceae - Caricoideae . Das Pflanzenreich 38
  • KUKKONEN, I. 1983. The genus Schoenoxiphium ( Cyperaceae ). A preliminary account. AETFAT proceedings. Bothalia 14
  • KUKKONEN, I. 1986. In B.L. Burtt. Cyperaceae . In: Notes on some plants of southern Africa. 13. Notes from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh 43
  • NEES VON ESENBECK, C.G. 1832. Cyperaceae Capenses Ecklonianae. Linnaea 7
  • SCHONLAND, S. 1922. Introduction to South African Cyperaceae . Memoirs of the Botanical Survey of South Africa No. 3
  • THUNBERG, C.P. 1794. Prodromus plantarum capensium . Edman, Uppsala

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