Schoenoplectus (Rchb.) Palla

First published in Verh. K. K. Zool.-Bot. Ges. Wien 38(Sitzungsber.): 49 (1888), nom. cons.
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is Cosmopolitan.

Descriptions

George R. Proctor (2012). Flora of the Cayman Isands (Second Edition). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Morphology General Habit
Usually perennials, spreading by stolons or sometimes caespitose
Morphology Culms
Culms terete or angulate, leafy or the leaves reduced to tubular sheaths
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence umbellate, paniculate, or reduced to 1 spikelet or a small cluster of sessile spikelets, subtended by 1 to many bracts
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets terminal or lateral, sessile or pedunculate, 3–many- flowered; glumes spirally imbricate, all fertile or the lowest sometimes empty.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers bisexual, with perianth of 1–6 bristles, or bristles sometimes lacking. Stamens 2–3; style 2- or 3-cleft, not enlarged at base, usually deciduous. Achenes flattened or 3-angled.
Distribution
A cosmopolitan genus of about 300 species. A single species is reported from the Cayman Islands.
Ecology
Usually of wet habitats.
[Cayman]

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit
Small annuals or large perennials; stem terete or triangular, with or without a node above the base
Morphology Leaves
Leaves mostly basal; blades present or absent; main inflorescence-bract leafy or more commonly stem-like and continuing in the direction of the stem, with or without transverse septa
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence usually a dense apparently lateral cluster of few–many spikelets, more rarely a lax terminal anthela
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets ovate to lanceolate, usually with numerous bisexual flowers subtended by spirally arranged glumes, rarely of 1–10 flowers only
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes ovate to broadly cordate, glabrous or minutely scabrid, but often with longer hairs along margin
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Perianth
Perianth of usually 6 needle-like bristles with or without recurved barbs, or of 4–5 flattened plumose segments (in S. subulatus only)
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens usually 3
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style with 2–3 stigmas
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Nutlet obovate to nearly orbicular, triangular or biconvex, smooth or transversely wrinkled
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Annual species often with basal cleistogamous flowers ± hidden in the lower leaf-sheaths and with very long styles with the stigmas protruding from the opening of the sheaths, and with nutlets larger than those produced in aerial spikelets.
Distribution
Genus of about 30 species in all tropical and temperate parts of the world, sometimes included in Scirpus L.
[FSOM]

Cyperaceae, K Hoenselaar, B. Verdcourt & H. Beentje. Hypolytrum, D Simpson. Fuirena, M Muasya. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2010

Morphology General Habit
Annuals or perennials, with or without leaves
Morphology Culms
Culm scapose or nearly so, with or without a node above the base
Morphology Leaves
Leaves usually reduced to sheaths
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Involucral bracts leafy and spreading or more usually stem-like and in the same direction as the stem, with or without transverse septa
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a dense apparently lateral, but really terminal, cluster of few to many spikelets, less often a more open anthela
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets with many bisexual flowers subtended by spirally arranged glumes
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Perianth
Perianth bristles absent or present and of barbed or smooth needle-like bristles, or more flattened and plumose
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens usually 3.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Filaments
Filaments often persistent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style 2–3-branched
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Nutlet obovoid to round, usually apiculate, smooth or ridged.
Note
Annual species may have basal flowers ± hidden in the lower leaf sheaths, with very long styles protuding from the sheaths, and nutlets larger than those of the aerial florets. Lye described Schoenoplectiella out of Schoenoplectus for those taxa that are more closely related to Eleocharis than to Schoenoplectus. These differ in mostly being annual and producing solitary female flowers in the basal leaf sheaths.
[FTEA]

J. Browning, K.D. Gordon-Gray†, M. Lock, H. Beentje, K. Vollesen, K. Bauters, C. Archer, I. Larridon, M. Xanthos, P. Vorster, J. Bruhl, K. Wilson and X. Zhang (2020). Flora Zambesiaca Volume: 14: Cyperaceae. M.Á. García, J.R. Timberlake (Eds). Kew Publish

Morphology General Habit
Annual or perennial herbs, leaves usually reduced to a sheath, sometimes with a ligulate blade
Morphology Culms
Culms scapose or almost so, with or without a node above base
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence appearing pseudolateral, anthelate or capitate with few to many spikelets
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Lowermost involucral bract stem- like, erect surpassing inflorescence
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets with spirally arranged glumes each subtending a bisexual floret
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Perianth
Perianth 0–6
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens usually 3, with persistent filaments
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style 2–3 branched
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Nutlet obovoid, trigonous, sometimes biconvex, often beaked, smooth or rugulose.
Note
The genus Schoenoplectus incorporates perennial plants, and Lye (2003) separated the genus Schoenoplectiella from Schoenoplectus to include annual taxa that in addition to aerial flowers have basal flowers in the leaf sheaths. Hayasaka (2012) expanded the circumscription of the genus Schoenoplectiella, but this has not been used in this account. Lye’s separation is applied to the key below, which includes both genera.
Recognition
In the Flora area the species may be sympatric and are frequent inhabitants of margins of freshwater pools, dams and damp areas. Characters delimiting species are neither clear-cut nor concise; features of the nutlet are perhaps the most consistent for diagnosing species, but considerable variation occurs and intermediates are present. Heterogeneity has been noted in herbarium specimens and efforts have been made to apply various criteria by numerous authors, none of which are wholly satisfactory.
[FZ]

Sources

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Flora of the Cayman Islands

    • Flora of the Cayman Islands
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0