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This species is accepted, and its native range is Togo, Chad to Ethiopia to Namibia, SW. Arabian Peninsula.
A specimen from Kew's Herbarium

[FTEA]

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

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelet ovoid, 2–5 × 1.5–2 mm, somewhat flattened, usually 5–8-flowered.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes grey to brown with green midrib, ovate, 1.5–2 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style 3-branched
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Nutlet dark grey to brown, ellipsoid, 0.9–1.1 × 0.5–0.7 mm, 3-angular, transversely wrinkled.
Note
This species is cited from Tanzania by Haines & Lye; they mention Scott Elliot 3287 – I am not sure he actually collected in Tanzania, as all his collections I am aware of are either from Kenya or Uganda. I have not seen the specimen itself.
Ecology
Seasonally swampy grassland
Type
Type: Egypt, no locality indicated, Schimper 31 (B, holo., not found; P, iso.)
Morphology General Habit
Dwarf annual.
Morphology Stem
Stems tufted, 1–2 cm long (excepting the inflorescence bract which can add another 1–4 cm), round, 0.3–0.5 mm thick
Morphology Leaves
Leaves absent.
Morphology Leaves Leaf sheaths
Leaf-sheath relatively wide, sometimes ending in an up to 5 mm long lobe, often with cleistogamous flower with long style and dark brown nutlets 1–1.5 mm wide, minutely wrinkled
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence an apparently lateral single greenish brown spikelet. Inflorescence bract erect, 1–4 cm long.
Distribution
Range: Chad, ?Zambia

Native to:

Botswana, Chad, Ethiopia, Namibia, Tanzania, Togo, Yemen, Zambia

Schoenoplectiella proxima (Steud.) Lye appears in other Kew resources:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status
Smith, P.A. [3360], Botswana K000743109 isotype
Schimper, W. [31], Egypt Schoenoplectus proximus K000098561 isotype

First published in Lidia 6: 26 (2003)

Accepted by

  • Browning, J. & al. (2020). Flora Zambesiaca 14: 1-455. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Govaerts, R. & Simpson, D.A. (2007). World Checklist of Cyperaceae. Sedges: 1-765. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Hoenselaar, K., Verdcourt, B. & Beentje, H. (2010). Cyperaceae Flora of Tropical East Africa: 1-466.

Literature

Kew Backbone Distributions

  • Browning, J. & al. (2020). Flora Zambesiaca 14: 1-455. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Hoenselaar, K., Verdcourt, B. & Beentje, H. (2010). Cyperaceae Flora of Tropical East Africa: 1-466.

Flora of Tropical East Africa

  • Lidia 6, 1: 26 (2003).

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

Herbarium Catalogue Specimens
Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Kew Backbone Distributions
The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2021. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
© Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone
The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2021. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
© Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0