Schoenoplectus (Rchb.) Palla (Palla 1888: 49)

Rasaminirina, Fitiavana & Larridon, Isabel, 2023, The genera of Cyperaceae of Madagascar, Plant Ecology and Evolution 156 (3), pp. 276-310 : 276

Schoenoplectus (Rchb.) Palla (Palla 1888: 49) nom. cons.

Type species.

Schoenoplectus lacustris (L.) Palla

Description of the genus.

Perennials with long rhizomes sometimes ending in tubers at tips. Culms scapose, trigonous to terete, thickened at base. Leaves usually reduced to a sheath, sometimes developing a ligulate blade, but rarely well developed. Involucral bracts often large, erect, stem-like, rarely leaf-like, and patent to reflexed. Inflorescence pseudolateral, rarely clearly terminal, corymb-like anthela or capitate. Spikelet 1 or few. Glumes many, spirally arranged, deciduous, each subtending a flower; puberulent to glabrous, the margins often ciliate or laciniate distally, apex entire to emarginate or deeply 2-fid, awned or mucronate. Floret bisexual. Perianth present, formed by (5-)6 parts, smooth to retorsely scabrid, bristle-like or sometimes plumose, longer or shorter than nutlet, deciduous with fruit. Stamens 2-3. Style 2-3-fid, base not thickened, persistent. Nutlets smooth, obovate, trigonous, or dorsiventrally lenticular, yellow to dark brown when mature; fruit epidermal cells isodiametric to narrowly oblong. Embryo fungiform, scutellum turbinate to rhomboid in shape, root cap lateral, first well developed and second embryonic leaves basal.

Distribution and ecology.

Schoenoplectus is a cosmopolitan genus ( POWO 2022). It grows in freshwater wetlands, along stream banks, wet grasslands, and rocky areas. In Madagascar, only two species of Schoenoplectus occur including e.g. Schoenoplectus subulatus (Vahl) Lye ( Haines and Lye 1983: 54).