Cyperaceae (sedges)

Family: Cyperaceae (sedges)

Life > eukaryotes > Archaeoplastida > Chloroplastida > Charophyta > Streptophytina > Plantae (land plants) > Tracheophyta (vascular plants) > Euphyllophyta > Lignophyta (woody plants) > Spermatophyta (seed plants) > Angiospermae (flowering plants) > Monocotyledons > Order: Poales

About 98 genera and 4350 species, with 41 genera and 457 species indigenous to southern Africa. An additional eight species are naturalised and three species are recorded as being cultivated in the region.

Genera indigenous to southern Africa

List from Archer (2000) plus additional information from Archer (2003) and Glen (2002).

Abildgaardia About 10 species (Africa, Asia and Australia), with three species indigenous to southern Africa.
Alinula Four species (Africa and Madagascar), one of which, Alinula paradoxa, is indigenous to southern Africa.
Ascolepis About 20 species (warm regions of the world), with two species indigenous to southern Africa.
Bolboschoenus About 11 species (cosmopolitan), with three species indigenous to southern Africa.
Bulbostylis About 100 species (mainly tropical Africa and America), with 17 species indigenous to southern Africa, and one naturalised.
Capeobolus One species, Capeobolus brevicaulis, endemic to Western and Eastern Cape.
Carex About 2000 species (cosmopolitan), with 15 species indigenous to southern Africa and four naturalised. In addition, two species (Carex morrowii and Carex oshimensis) are cultivated in the region.
Carpha About 15 species (southern Hemisphere), with five species indigenous to southern Africa.
Chrysitrix Four species, one in Australia and three endemic to the Western Cape.
Cladium About four species (nearly cosmopolitan), with Cladium mariscus indigenous to southern Africa.
Coleochloa About seven species (Africa and Madagascar), with two species indigenous to southern Africa.
Costularia About 19 species (Africa, Madagascar and Australia), with one species, Costularia natalensis, indigenous to southern Africa.
Courtoisina Two species (India, Africa and Madagascar), both of which are indigenous to southern Africa.
Cyathocoma Three species, endemic to southern Africa.
Cyperus About 550 species (nearly cosmopolitan), with 86 species indigenous to southern Africa and one naturalised.
Eleocharis About 200 species (near cosmopolitan), with 17 species indigenous to southern Africa.
Epischoenus Eight species, endemic to southern Africa (Western Cape, Eastern Cape, possibly KwaZulu-Natal).
Ficinia Sixty-two species, all indigenous to southern Africa and mostly endemic to the region but with a couple with distributions extending as far north as Tanzania.
Fimbristylis About 300 species (warm and temperate regions), with nine species indigenous to southern Africa.
Fuirena About 30 species (warm regions of the world), with 14 indigenous to southern Africa.
Helmuthia One species, Hellmuthia membranacea, endemic to the Western Cape, where it grows along the coast from the Cape Peninsula to Knysna.
Isolepis About 60 species (temperate and subtropical regions of the world), with 34 species indigenous to southern Africa.
Kyllinga About 60 species (warm, moist regions of the world), with 13 species indigenous to southern Africa.
Kyllingiella About four species, one of which, Kyllingiella microcephala, is indigenous to southern Africa.
Lipocarpha About 35 species (warm regions), with six species indigenous to southern Africa.
Mariscus Three species indigenous to southern Africa.
Neesenbeckia One species, Neesenbeckia punctoria (= Tetraria punctoria), which is endemic to the Western Cape.
Oxycaryum One species, Oxycaryum cubense, which is a widespread species distributed through tropical Africa, Central America and South America. In southern Africa, it occurs in the Okavango Swamps (Botswana), Namibia, and northern KwaZulu-Natal.
Pseudoschoenus One species, Pseudoschoenus inanis,indigenous to southern Africa (Free State, Lesotho, Northern Cape, Western Cape and Eastern Cape).
Pycreus About 70 species (warm, moist regions), with 22 species indigenous to southern Africa.
Rhynchospora About 250 species (cosmopolitan, mainly America), with nine species indigenous to southern Africa.
Schoenoplectus About 50 species (tropical and temperate regions), with 16 species indigenous to southern Africa and two species that are naturalised.
Schoenoxiphium Sixteen species, indigenous to southern Africa, with a few extending further north.
Schoenus About 100 species (worldwide, mainly Australia), with one species, Schoenus nigricans, indigenous to southern Africa.
Scirpoides About five species (temperate regions), with three species indigenous to southern Africa.
Scirpus Four species are indigenous to southern Africa. In addition, Scirpus lacustris (Clubrush) is cultivated in southern Africa.
Scleria About 250 species (tropical and subtropical regions), with 22 indigenous to southern Africa.
Tetraria About 50 species (Australia, New Zealand and Africa, but mainly in southern Africa), with 41 species indigenous to southern Africa (mainly in fynbos of the Western Cape).
Trianoptiles Three species, endemic to southern Africa (Northern Cape, Western Cape and Eastern Cape).
Volkiella One species, Volkiella disticha, indigenous to southern Africa (Namibia and extending north).
Websteria One species, Websteria confervoides, with a widespread distribution: tropical America, tropical Africa and Sri Lanka. Within southern Africa, it occurs in the Okavango Swamps (Botswana) and probably in the Caprivi Strip (Namibia).

Publications

Archer, C. 2000. Cyperaceae. In: Seed Plants of Southern Africa (ed. O.A. Leistner). Strelitzia 10: 594-605. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
Archer, C. 2003. Cyperaceae. In Germishuizen, G. & Meyer, N.L. (eds), Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14: 1020-1047. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
Glen, H.F. 2002. Cultivated Plants of Southern Africa. Jacana, Johannesburg.