Schoenus is a predominately austral genus of sedges,[2] commonly known as bogrushes,[3] or veldrushes in South Africa. Species of this genus occur mainly in South Africa (some 44 species), Australia (some 70 species) and Southeast Asia.[4] Others are found in scattered locations worldwide, from Europe (2 species) to Asia, North Africa (1 species) and the Americas.[5][6][7][8][9][10] Three species occur in the peatlands of southern South America, including S. antarcticus which is found in Tierra del Fuego, where it forms a component of hyperhumid Magellanic moorland.[11]
Taxonomic attention to the South African taxa, starting 2017, revealed a wealth of species. Twenty-four species were transferred from Tetraria and Epischoenus into Schoenus, and several new species were described. S. inconspicuus, discovered on the outskirts of Cape Town, consists of only a few specimens.[2]
Etymology
The Greek word schoinos means 'rush', 'reed' or 'coord'.[12]Schoenus has also been used to represent ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman units of length and area based on knotted cords. In addition, it was the name of several ancient Greek towns, which were located in Arcadia, Boeotia and Corinthia, as well as several individuals in Greek mythology.
Description
Similar to other sedges (plants in family Cyperaceae), Schoenus are graminoid (grass-like) monocotyledonous flowering plants. Most species of Schoenus usually grow in clumps, but a few species are more spreading in growth form.[13] The flowering stems (culms) of Schoenus are usually round (terete), but there are some species with angular (e.g. Schoenus quadrangularis) or flat (e.g. Schoenus complanatus) culms.[13][14] Leaves of Schoenus are serrate, basal and usually well-developed, but there are some species with leaves reduced to a sheath (e.g. Schoenus gracillimus).[13][14] Several species are hairy (e.g. Schoenus neovillosus), but in this genus it is not common to have hairs.[14][15][16][17]
^Rydin, Håkan; Jeglum, John K. (2013-07-18). The Biology of Peatlands (Biology of Habitats Series) (2 ed.). OUP Oxford. p. 238. ISBN9780191508288.
^Quattrocchi, Umberto (2023). CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names: Common Names, Scientific Names, Eponyms. Synonyms, and Etymology – Volume IV R–Z. CRC Press.
^ abcLarridon, Isabel; Zuntini, Alexandre R.; Léveillé-Bourret, Étienne; Barrett, Russell L.; Starr, Julian R.; Muasya, A. Muthama; Villaverde, Tamara; Bauters, Kenneth; Brewer, Grace E.; Bruhl, Jeremy J.; Costa, Suzana M.; Elliott, Tammy L.; Epitawalage, Niroshini; Escudero, Marcial; Fairlie, Isabel; Goetghebeur, Paul; Hipp, Andrew L.; Jiménez-Mejías, Pedro; Sabino Kikuchi, Izai A.B.; Luceño, Modesto; Márquez-Corro, José Ignacio; Martín-Bravo, Santiago; Maurin, Olivier; Pokorny, Lisa; Roalson, Eric H.; Semmouri, Ilias; Simpson, David A.; Spalink, Daniel; Thomas, W. Wayt; Wilson, Karen L.; Xanthos, Martin; Forest, Félix; Baker, William J. (1 July 2021). "A new classification of Cyperaceae (Poales) supported by phylogenomic data". Journal of Systematics and Evolution. 59 (4): 852–895. doi:10.1111/jse.12757. hdl:1854/LU-8709768.
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