Annuals or perennials, sometimes robust, tufted or long-rhizomatous
Culms
erect, with aerial nodes
Leaves
long, eligulate; sheath with adaxial apex n-shaped to truncate; blade with keeled midrib, profile V-shaped
Inflorescence
capitate, paniculate or anthelate (of several heads), each of 1 or more spikelets
Spikelets
of spirally imbricate glumes; basal 3 or 4 glumes empty, 1 or 2 above fertile, bisexual, uppermost with male floret or empty
Perianth
of (0)6 barbate bristles
Stamens
2 or 3
Style
elongate, swollen at base; branches 2, short or long
Nutlet
obovoid to narrowly oblong, compressed, rugose, papillose or smooth, crowned with persistent style base
x = 5, 13 (8, 9) (aneuploids, polyploidy)
Nomenclature:
Rhynchospora
Vahl
Vahl: 229 (1805) name conserved
Clarke: 267 (1898)
Clarke: 478 (1902)
Schonland: 54 (1922)
Podlech: 43 (1967)
Gordon-Gray: 111 (1972)
Compton: 73 (1976)
Bond & Goldblatt: 44 (1984)
Forbes: 58 (1987)
Gordon-Gray: 148 (1995)
Distribution & Notes:
Global
: Species ± 250, cosmopolitan, mainly America
Southern Africa
: Species ± 8, widespread, Namibia, Botswana, Northern Province, North-West, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Swaziland, KwaZulu-Natal, Lesotho and Eastern Cape with 1 reaching Western 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
CLARKE, C.B. 1902.
Cyperaceae
.
Flora of tropical Africa
8
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
PODLECH, D. 1967.
Cyperaceae
.
Prodromus einer Flora von Südwestafrika
165
SCHONLAND, S. 1922. Introduction to South African
Cyperaceae
.
Memoirs of the Botanical Survey of South Africa
No. 3
VAHL, M. 1805.
Cyperaceae
.
Enumeratio plantarum
2. N. Möller & Sons, Copenhagen
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