Flora of the Carolinas, Virginia, and Georgia, Working Draft of 17 March 2004 -- CYPERACEAE CYPERACEAE (Sedge Family) A family of about 100 genera and 5000 species, mostly herbs, cosmopolitan. References: Ball, Reznicek, & Murray in FNA (2002b); Tucker (1987); Goetghebeur in Kubitzki (1998b). 1 Achene enclosed in a perigynium (a sac-like structure); [subfamily Caricoideae, tribe Cariceae]. 2 Leaf blades 0.5-25 (-52) mm wide, with a midrib, herbaceous, the apex acute; leaf margin various (smooth or scabrous, but not as described below)................................................................... Carex 2 Leaf blades 20-60 mm wide, without a midrib (with 40-100 parallel nerves all of equal prominence), leathery, the apex obtuse; leaf margin scarious, minutely crisped-ruffled (feeling scaberulous to the touch) . Cymophyllus 1 Achene not enclosed in a perigynium. 3 Scales distichously imbricate; spikelets aggregated into spikes or heads; [subfamily Cyperoideae]. 4 Inflorescence axillary; leaves predominantly cauline, conspicuously 3-ranked; perianth bristles subtending the achene 6-9; [tribe Dulichieae] ..........................................................Dulichium 4 Inflorescence terminal, more-or-less scapose (though immediately subtended by leafy bracts); leaves predominantly basal, not 3-ranked; perianth bristles absent; [tribe Cypereae]. 5 Inflorescences branched; spikelets 1-many-flowered; rachilla elongate; scales broadly rounded . Cyperus 5 Inflorescences unbranched (the spikelets sessile); spikelets 1-2-flowered; rachilla not or only slightly elongate; scales conspicuously keeled ........................................................ Kyllinga 3 Scales spirally imbricate; spikelets not usually aggregated. 6 Achene (when ripe) bony and white; style base persistent on the summit of the achene, forming a differently- textured or differently-colored tubercle; spikelets all imperfect, the pistillate ones 1-flowered, the staminate ones several-flowered; [subfamily Sclerioideae, tribe Sclerieae] ...................................... Scleria 6 Achene mostly brown, black, or tan; style base persistent as a differentiated tubercle (Bulbostylis, Eleocharis, Rhynchospora) or not (Cladium, Eriophorum, Fuirena, Hemicarpha, Isolepis, Lipocarpha, Schoenoplectus, Scirpus, Trichophorum); spikelets mostly or all perfect; [subfamily Cyperoideae]. 7 Style base persistent as a differentiated tubercle (this small and inconspicuous in Bulbostylis and some spp. of Rhynchospora). 8 Leaves consisting of bladeless sheaths; spikelet 1 per stem, terminal (very rarely proliferating and with more than 1 spikelet); [tribe Eleocharideae]....................................... Eleocharis 8 Leaves with well-developed blades; spikelets few to many per stem, usually subtended by foliaceous bracts. 9 Perianth bristles absent; spikelets several-many-flowered; leaves capillary; [tribe Abildgaardieae] ... ....................................................................Bulbostylis 9 Perianth bristles present (rarely absent in species without capillary leaves); spikelets 1-2-flowered (several-many-flowered in some species without capillary leaves); leaves capillary to broad; [tribe Schoeneae] ........................................................ Rhynchospora 7 Style base not persistent as a differentiated tubercle. 10 Achene not subtended by bristles or scales (in addition to the scales of the spikelets). 11 Involucral bracts 1-3, the lowest erect, appearing like a continuation of the culm, the inflorescence therefore appearing lateral. 12 Achenes 0.5-0.7 mm long, 1.8-3× as long as wide, minutely papillose in longitudinal lines; [tribe Cypereae] ........................................................Lipocarpha 12 Achenes 1.2-1.5 mm long, 1-1.4× as long as wide, minutely pitted or transversely rugose. 13 Achenes minutely pitted in longitudinal lines; [tribe Cypereae]................Isolepis 13 Achenes transversely rugose; [tribe Fuireneae] ............. Schoenoplectus erectus 11 Involucral bracts 2-several, spreading, the inflorescence therefore appearing terminal. 13 Plants diminutive, to 5 dm tall; leaves 3-15 cm long, to 1 mm wide; [tribe Abildgaardieae] ..... ................................................................Bulbostylis 13 Plants moderate to very robust, 7-30 dm tall; leaves 30-150 cm long, 1.5-15 mm wide. 14 Flowers 1-2 per spikelet; [tribe Schoeneae] ............................. Cladium 14 Flowers several-many per spikelet. 15 Style fimbriate; leaves 0.5-5 mm wide; [tribe Abildgaardieae] ........ Fimbristylis 15 Style smooth; leaves (2-) 5-18 mm wide; [tribe Scirpeae]......Scirpus georgianus 10 Achene subtended by either bristles, 3 stalked paddle-like scales, or 1-2 broad-based scales (in addition to the scales of the spikelets). 16 Achene subtended by stalked paddle-like scales or broad-based scales. 17 Achene subtended by a perianth of 3 stalked paddle-like scales; [plants 2-7 dm tall]; [tribe Fuireneae] ........................................................... Fuirena 17 Achene lacking a perianth, but subtended by 1-2 broad-based scales; [plants 0.5-3 dm tall]; [tribe Cypereae] ....................................................Lipocarpha 16 Achene subtended by bristles. 18 Bristles 10-many, more than 5× as long as the achene, white to tawny, straight; [tribe Scirpeae] ............................................................... Eriophorum 18 Bristles 1-6, usually less than 4× as long as the achene, brown, straight or conspicuously 621 Flora of the Carolinas, Virginia, and Georgia, Working Draft of 17 March 2004 -- CYPERACEAE twisted (twisted if more than 3× as long as the achene). 19 Involucral bracts lacking, or consisting only of the slightly modified basal scales of the solitary and terminal spikelet; [plants of hillsides, upland forests, or cliffs; never (in our area) in marshes, bogs, or streambeds]; [tribe Scirpeae].............. Trichophorum 19 Involucral bracts present, consisting either of a single, erect bract appearing as a continuation of the culm (the inflorescence thus appearing lateral) or of 2 or more spreading, foliaceous bracts (the inflorescence thus appearing terminal); [plants of marshes, bogs, streambeds, ditches, or (rarely) terrestrial or on rock outcrops]. 20 Main involucral bract 1 (rarely 2), erect, appearing as a continuation of the culm (the inflorescence thus appearing lateral, though in some species the longer inflorescence branches may overtop the bract); [tribe Fuireneae] .............Schoenoplectus 20 Main involucral bracts 2-8, spreading and foliaceous (the inflorescence thus appearing terminal). 21 Spikelets 10-40 mm long, 6-12 mm in diameter, 3-50 per culm; [tribe Fuireneae] ................................................. Bolboschoenus 21 Spikelets 2.5-19 mm long, 2-4 mm in diameter, usually more than 50 per culm; [tribe Scirpeae]............................................Scirpus Bolboschoenus Palla (Bulrush) A genus of about 10-16 species, herbs, cosmopolitan. The distinction of this genus from Schoenoplectus is uncertain and controversial; it is generally accepted in the Old World, and generally not in the New World. References: Smith in FNA (2002b); Goetghebeur in Kubitzki (1998b). 1 Ventral summit of leaf sheaths truncate or concave, the nerves destined for the leaf margins diverging gradually . ......................................................................... B. maritimus ssp. paludosus 1 Ventral summit of leaf sheaths convex, the nerves destined for the leaf margins diverging abruptly, making a nearly right-angle bend. 2 Bristles mostly equalling to surpassing the distinctly trigonous achene . B. fluviatilis 2 Bristles shorter than to equalling the lenticular or plano-convex achene. 3 Inflorescence relatively open, with (10-) 15-50 spikelets; bristles persistent . B. novae-angliae 3 Inflorescence relatively congested, mostly with 5-20 spikelets; bristles more or less caducous . B. robustus Bolboschoenus fluviatilis (Torrey) J. Soják, River Bulrush. Mt, Pd, Cp (VA): tidal and river marshes; rare (VA Rare). June- early July; July-August. New Brunswick west to Saskatchewan, British Columbia (Vancouver Island) and WA, south to VA, OH, IN, KS, AZ, and CA; disjunct in s. AL. [= FNA; Scirpus fluviatilis (Torrey) A. Gray -- C, F, G; Schoenoplectus fluviatilis (Torrey) M.T. Strong -- K, Z] Bolboschoenus maritimus (Linnaeus) Palla ssp. paludosus (A. Nelson) T. Koyama, Alkali Bulrush, Salt-marsh Bulrush. Cp (VA): marshes; rare (VA Watch List). Interruptedly circumboreal, south in North America to VA, NY, MN, MO, OK, TX, and Mexico. [= FNA; Scirpus maritimus var. maritimus -- C; Scirpus maritimus var. fernaldii (Bicknell) Beetle -- F, in part (also see Bolboschoenus novae-angliae); Scirpus maritimus var. fernaldii (Bicknell) Beetle -- G; Scirpus maritimus Linnaeus; Schoenoplectus maritimus (Linnaeus) Lye – K] Bolboschoenus novae-angliae (Britton) S.G. Smith, Salt-marsh Bulrush. Cp (NC, VA): fresh to brackish tidal marshes, ditches; rare (VA Watch List). Late June-July; July-September. ME to GA. Perhaps a hybrid of Schoenoplectus fluviatilis and Schoenoplectus robustus, but "apparently forming a persistent set of populations" (Cronquist 1991). Possibly better treated as a hybrid, Schoenoplectus ×novae-angliae; its distinctiveness and ecological behavior suggest that it should be treated as a species. See Schuyler (1975) for additional discussion. [= FNA; Scirpus cylindricus (Torrey) Britton -- C, K, Beal (1977), illegitimate name; Scirpus maritimus var. fernaldii (Bicknell)