Cyperaceae
Scleria

Scleria achtenii De Wild.

First published in Rev. Zool. Bot. Africaines 14(Suppl. Bot.): 16 (1926)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tropical & S. Africa, Madagascar. It is a perennial or rhizomatous geophyte and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/123730965/123733810

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

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

Type
Type: Congo-Kinshasa, Kinshasa [Leopoldville], Achten 97 (BR, holo.)
Morphology General Habit
Perennial 0.4–1.3(–2) m tall.
Vegetative Multiplication Rhizomes
Rhizome red, usually straight, 3–6 mm wide, with hairy stems arising from it at intervals of up to 1 cm with bases swollen
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 30–60 cm long, 2.5–5 mm wide, glabrous above, hairy on the 5 principal veins beneath.
Morphology Leaves Leaf sheaths
Sheaths hairy; ligulate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Lateral panicles single at 2–3(–4) upper nodes on pendulous hairy peduncles exserted up to 18 cm from the sheaths. Inflorescence reddish, elongate totalling 20–85 cm, the terminal panicle up to 2.5 cm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
ale spikelets 7–9 mm long, sessile on short pedicels, the glumes straw-coloured or reddish; female spikelets 5–7 mm long with straw-coloured or reddish glumes, glabrous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Nutlets grey, brownish-grey or violet-grey, obovoid to subglobose, 2.6–2.9 mm long, 1.9–2.1 mm wide, lightly irregularly pitted or transversely ridged, hairy on the ridges but sometimes smooth and hairless near the apex, also with microscopic papillae; hypogynium greyish white with 3 lobes terminating in a semi-scarious ligulate extension up to 1 mm long appressed to nutlet base.
Ecology
Perennially damp but not water-logged ground, Loudetia tussocks in marshes, occasionally in permanent water; 0–1500 m
Note
I am not certain of the identity of the Kenya specimen.
Distribution
Flora districts: U4 K7 T1 T6 Range: Congo-Kinshasa, Zambia, South Africa
[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

Type
D.R. Congo, Kinshasa (Leopoldville), viii.1915, Achten 97 (BR holotype).
Morphology General Habit
Perennial herb, 0.4–1.3(2) m tall
Vegetative Multiplication Rhizomes
Rhizome usually straight, 3–6 mm wide, swollen bases of hairy stems arising up to 1 cm apart
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 30–60 cm long, 2.5–5 mm wide, glabrous above, hairy on 5 principal veins beneath
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence reddish, elongate, 20–85 cm long, terminal panicle to 7.5 cm, lateral panicles single at 2–3(4) upper nodes, 2.5–4(5) cm long, on pendulous hairy peduncles exserted up to 18 cm from sheaths
sex Male
Male spikelets 7–9 mm long, sessile on short pedicels, glumes straw-coloured or reddish; female spikelets 5–7 mm long, glabrous, with straw-coloured or reddish glumes
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Nutlets obovoid to subglobose, 2.6–2.9 × 1.9–2.1 mm, lightly irregularly pitted or transversely ridged, hairy on ridges, sometimes smooth and hairless near apex, with microscopic papillae, grey, brownish-grey or violet-grey; hypogynium greyish white, with 3 lobes each terminating in a semi-scarious ligulate extension to 1 mm long appressed to nutlet base.
Ecology
Perennially damp but not waterlogged ground; 40–1350 m.
Conservation
Widespread; not threatened.
Distribution
According to Robinson, this species is frequent in the Mbala, Kasama, Mporokoso, Mansa and Mwinilunga districts of Zambia. Zambia, Mozambique. Also in Congo, Uganda, Kenya(?), Tanzania and South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal).
[FZ]

Cyperaceae, Miss S. S. Hooper. Flora of West Tropical Africa 3:2. 1972

Morphology General Habit
Perennial up to 2 m. high with swollen stem-bases
Morphology Leaves
2–6 mm. wide leaves
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Lateral panicles pendulous on long slender peduncles
Ecology
By stream-sides and in marshy grasslands.
[FWTA]

Sources

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • 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 West Tropical Africa

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

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2022 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 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2022 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Plants and People Africa

    • Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/
    • © Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/