Contains 13 accepted taxa overall.
Characteristics
Classification
Citation
SCLERIA P. J. Bergius, Kongl. Vetensk. Acad. Handl. 26: 142. 1765.
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TYPE: Scleria flagellum-nigrorum P. J. Bergius, nom. illegit. (Scirpus lithospermus Linnaeus; Scleria lithosperma (Linnaeus) Swartz) Lectotypified by Britton & A. Brown, Ill. Fl. N. U.S., ed. 2. 1: 348. 1913.
Species
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Herbarium Specimens | Status | Photos |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scleria baldwinii | BALDWIN'S NUTRUSH | Native FACW (NWPL) FACW (DEP) | ||
| Scleria ciliata | FRINGED NUTRUSH | Native FAC (NWPL) FACW (DEP) | ||
| Scleria distans | RIVERSWAMP NUTRUSH | Native OBL (NWPL) FACW (DEP) | ||
| Scleria eggersiana | EGGERS NUTRUSH | Not Native Y | ||
| Scleria gaertneri | CORTADERA BLANCA | Not Native | ||
| Scleria georgiana | SLENDERFRUIT NUTRUSH | Native FACW (NWPL) FACW (DEP) | ||
| Scleria lacustris | WRIGHT'S NUTRUSH | Not Native Y FACW (DEP) | ||
| Scleria lithosperma | FLORIDA KEYS NUTRUSH | Native Rare-State FAC (NWPL) FACW (DEP) | ||
| Scleria microcarpa | TROPICAL NUTRUSH | Not Native Y | ||
| Scleria oligantha | LITTLEHEAD NUTRUSH | Native FAC (NWPL) FACW (DEP) | ||
| Scleria reticularis | NETTED NUTRUSH | Native FACW (NWPL) FACW (DEP) | ||
| Scleria triglomerata | TALL NUTGRASS; WHIP NUTRUSH | Native FACW (NWPL) FACW (DEP) | ||
| Scleria verticillata | LOW NUTRUSH | Native OBL (NWPL) FACW (DEP) |
Identification Key
1. Hypogynium present at the achene base, marginate, ciliate, lobed, tuberculate, or papillose (sometimes obscured by a ciliate-margined cupule)
2
1. Hypogynium absent or vestigial, the tapered and lobed or indented achene base naked and visible
9
2. Leaf blades 10–25 mm wide
3
2. Leaf blades 1-11 mm wide
4
3. Main stem smooth; cupule with marginal red-brown cilia concealing the eciliate hypogynium
3. Main stem strongly retrorsely scabrous; cupule absent, the hypogynium without cilia
4. Hypogynium with papillose tubercles
5
4. Hypogynium lobed or obscurely angled and crustose
6
5. Hypogynium with 3 or 6 tubercles; achene ridged to tuberculate, sometimes faintly so (S. ciliata complex)
5. Hypogynium with 8-9 tubercles; achene smooth
6. Hypogynium narrower than achene body, a papillose continuous crust, obscurely angled (S. trigolmerata complex)
6. Hypogynium wider than achene body, lobed
7
7. Achene ridged, verrucose, sometimes faintly so, often pubescent but sometimes glabrate (S. reticularis complex)
7. Achene smooth, glabrous
8
8. Achene often with dark coloration, depressed globose (wider than long), without a cupule, the hypognium lacking cilia
8. Achene white, ovoid (longer than wide), cupule with sparse cilia concealing the eciliate hypogynium
9. Inflorescence a single terminal cluster
10
9. Inflorescence of few to several separated spikes (subg. Hypoporum)
11
10. Achenes 3–4 mm long, base not papillose or granulose
10. Achenes 2–3 mm long, base with papillose or granulose
11. Contra-ligules well-developed, ciliate; subtending bracts conspicuous and exceeding the spikes
11. Contra-ligules inconspicuous; subtending bracts inconspicuous, not exceeding the spikes
12
12. Plants rhizomatous; leaves pubescent or rarely glabrous; achene smooth
12. Plants without rhizomes; leaves glabrous; achene ridged
1. (Key A) Achenes reticulate-ridged
1. Achenes tuberculate, verrucose, or papillate, rarely nearly smooth
2
2. Leaves 1–2.5 mm wide; hypogynium with 6 distinctly separate tubercles arranged in pairs, and achenes 1–2.5 mm long
3
2. Leaves 1–7 mm wide; hypogynium with 3 tubercles (these sometimes 2-lobed) or 6 tubercles, and achenes 2–3.6 mm long
4
3. Plants glabrous or sparsely to densely hairy, hairs 0.1-0.4 mm long
3. Plants copiously villous-ciliate with spreading hairs 0.5–1 mm long on culms, leaves, and bracts
4. Culm 40-100 cm tall; primary terminal bract 2-5 mm wide, cilia 1-2.2 mm long; hypogynium with 6 (rarely 3 deeply lobed) tubercles, the basal rim 1.4-1.8(2.1) mm wide; achenes smooth or nearly so, papillate only at the base
4. Culm (15)30-70(75) cm tall; primary terminal bract 0.4-4.1 mm wide, cilia (0)0.1-1.1(1.3) mm long; hypogynium with 3 tubercles (these sometimes 2-lobed), the basal rim (0.6)0.8-1.4(1.6) mm wide; achenes usually ridged or reticulate and papillose throughout
5
5. Culms, leaves, and bracts glabrate, not ciliate
5. Culms hairy; leaves and bracts ciliate
6
6. Leaves 1–3.5 mm wide; achenes 2–3 mm long, 1.5–2.3 mm wide
6. Leaves (2.5)3.5–7 mm wide; achenes 2.6–3.6 mm long, 2–2.6 mm wide
1. (Key B) Leaves 1-2.5 mm wide; achenes 1.5-2 mm long
1. Leaves 3-9 mm wide; achenes 2-3 mm long
2
2. Rhizomes knotty; leaf sheath contraligule (sheath apex) adaxial membranous band glabrescent, sharply differentiated from the basal line (ligule of the contraligule) marking the transition from the sheath; achenes 2-2.5 mm long, 2-2.8 mm wide
2. Rhizomes elongate or not; leaf sheath contraligule (sheath apex) adaxial membranous band puberulent to tomentulose, indistinct from from the basal line (ligule of the contraligule) marking the transition from the sheath; achenes (2)2.8-3.3 mm long
3
3. Culms cespitose; inflorescence terminal and lateral; hypogynium covered with lance-acuminate scale-like laminae; of mesic to hydric areas
3. Culms along elongate rhizomes; inflorescence only terminal; hypogynium tuberculate; of mesic to xeric areas
1. (Key C) Culm 20-90(125) cm long; terminal stem internode 6-30 cm long; proximalmost lateral panicle spreading or drooping on filiform, flexuous peduncle (15)20–100 mm long; distalmost lateral panicle with bract (including sheath) usually 1/4–3/4 length of terminal internode; pistillate scales mostly 4-5 mm long; achene usually with tufts or lines of tawny hairs on ridges, rarely glabrous
1. Culms (6)15-50 cm long; terminal stem internode usually 3-8 cm long; proximalmost lateral panicle erect, on stiff erect peduncle 0-20(–90) mm long; distalmost lateral panicle with bract (including sheath) usually 3/4 or more length of terminal internode; pistillate scales mostly 3-4 mm long; achene glabrous
Genus Synonyms
| Synonym | Full Citation | Basionym | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acriulus | Acriulus Ridley, J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 20: 336. 1883. | TYPE: Acriulus madagascariensis Ridley | |
| Chondrolomia | Chondrolomia Nees von Esenbeck, in Martius, Fl. Bras. 2(1): 173. 1842. | TYPE: Chondrolomia sellowiana (Kunth) Nees von Esenbeck (Scleria sellowiana Kunth) | |
| Cylindropus | Cylindropus Nees von Esenbeck, Linnaea 9: 303. 1834. | TYPE: Cylindropus junciformis Nees von Esenbeck | |
| Diaphora | Diaphora Loureiro, Fl. Cochinch. 578. 1790. | TYPE: Diaphora cochinchinensis Loureiro | |
| Diploscyphus | Diploscyphus Liebmann, Kongel. Danske Vidensk. Selsk. Skr., Naturvidensk. Math. Afh., ser. 5. 2: 262. 1850. | TYPE: Diploscyphus mexicanus Liebmann | |
| Hymenolytrum | Hymenolytrum Schrader ex Nees von Esenbeck, in Martius, Fl. Bras. 2(1): 174. 1842. | TYPE: Hymenolytrum cyperinum (Willdenow ex Kunth) Nees von Esenbeck (Scleria cyperina Willdenow ex Kunth) Lectotypified by Camelbeke et al., Taxon 50: 480. 2001. | |
| Hypoporum | Hypoporum Nees von Esenbeck, Linnaea 9: 303. 1834. | TYPE: Hyporum pergracile Nees von Esenbeck Lectotypfied by Kern, Blumea 11: 196. 1961. | |
| Macrolomia | Macrolomia Schrader ex Nees von Esenbeck, in Martius, Fl. Bras. 2(1): 181. 1842. | TYPE: Macrolomia bracteata (Cavanilles) Schrader ex Nees von Esenbeck (Scleria bracteata Cavanilles) | |
| Mastigoscleria | Mastigoscleria Nees von Esenbeck, in Martius, Fl. Bras. 2(1): 177. 1842. | TYPE: Mastigoscleria reflexa (Kunth) Nees von Esenbeck (Scleria reflexa Kunth) Lectotypified by Camelbeke et al., Taxon 50: 480. 2001. | |
| Omoscleria | Omoscleria Nees von Esenbeck, in Martius, Fl. Bras. 2(1): 180. 1842. | TYPE: Omoscleria flagellum Nees von Esenbeck, nom. illegit. (Scleria flagellum Swartz, nom. illegit.; Scleria flagellum-nigrorum Bergius) Lectotypified by Camelbeke et al., Taxon 50: 480. 2001. =Scleria Bergius 1765, by lectotypification. | |
| Ophryoscleria | Ophryoscleria Nees von Esenbeck, in Martius, Fl. Bras. 2(1): 182. 1842. | TYPE: Ophryoscleria racemosa (Poiret) Nees von Esenbeck (Scleria racemosa Poiret) Lectotypified by Hennessy, Bothalia 15: 514. 1985. | |
| Schizolepis | Schizolepis Schrader ex Nees von Esenbeck, in Martius, Fl. Bras. 2(1): 158. 1842. | TYPE: Schizolepis latifolia (Swartz) Nees von Esenbeck (Scleria latifolia Swartz) Lectotypified by Hennessy, Bothalia 15: 514. 1985. | |
| Trachylomia | Trachylomia Nees von Esenbeck, in Martius, Fl. Bras. 2(1): 174. 1842. | TYPE: Trachylomia triglomerata (Michaux) Nees von Esenbeck (Scleria triglomerata Michaux) |