CYPERACEAE
Morphological description
Grass-like herbs, culms solid not jointed. Stems usually trigonous. Pandanus-like herb with woody rhizome (Scirpodendron); stems with transverse septa (Lepironia);
Leaves
Leaves 3-ranked, base of leaf sheathing. Leaves reduced to scales (Machaerina some spp.), leaves long petioled (Mapania).
Inflorescence
Flowers subtended by a bract (glume) arranged in spikelets. perianth consisting of bristles or scales, sometimes absent, spikelets arranged into panicles. Glumes distichous (Cyperus); female flowers surrounded by a bottle-shaped utricle (Carex, Uncinia).
Flowers
Flower stamens 3; ovary solitary, superior, 1-locular, 1 ovule; stigmas 2 or 3.
Fruit
Fruit triangular nut (sometimes reduced).
Different from: Graminae: culms often hollow, jointed, leaves often ligulate, each floret subtended by two bracts. - Restionaceae: perianth segments membranous.
Distribution: The family cosmopolitan, mostly in open places, often montane, some species in rain forest. In Malesia 30 genera including : - Carex (cosmopolitan), primary + secondary forest, often moist places, mostly montane; - Fimbristylis (cosmopolitan), in a wide range of habitats, mainly lowland; - Gahnia (Asia, Malesia, Australia, Pacific); open forest, mainly montane; - Hypolythrum (pantropical), rain forest, often swampy places; - Mapania (pantropical), rain forest; - Paramapania (Malesia, W Pacific), rain forest; - Scleria (pantropical), lowland monsoon + ever wet rain forest.
Notes: Many species are noxious weeds. Various species are useful to man: plaiting + thatching: species of Cyperus, Scirpus, Lepironia, Scirpodendron, Thoracostachyum. - Edible tubers: Eleocharis dulcis.
Literature: J.H. Kern, Fl. Males. I, 7 (1974) 435-753; J.H. Kern & H.P. Nooteboom, Fl. Males I, 9 (1979) 107-187.
Spot characters (Van Balgooy): Cyperaceae 76 - Cyperus hyalinus 23 - Oreobolus 1 - Uncinia 95.
Illustrations: Fig. 67. Carex indica L. (Cyperaceae). a. Habit; b & c. glumes; d. fruit in utricle; e. fruit; b-e enlarged. Reproduced from Flora Malesiana I, 9 (1979) 133, fig. 125. a b c e d 91 Fig. 68. Cyperus rotundus L. (Cyperaceae). Reproduced from C.A. Backer & D.F. van Slooten, Geillustreerd Handboek der Javaansche Theeonkruiden (1924) t. 82. 92 Fig. 69. Fimbristylis fulvescens (Thw.) Thw. (Cyperaceae). Habit. Reproduced from Flora Malesiana I, 7 (1974) 570, fig. 43a. 93 Fig. 70. Mapania latifolia Uittien (Cyperaceae). Habit. Reproduced from Flora Malesiana I, 7 (1974) 467, fig. 9a. 94 Fig. 71. Oreobolus kukenthalii Steen. (Cyperaceae). Habit, in different sizes. Reproduced from Flora Malesiana I, 7 (1971) 681, fig. 80a.
Image in PhytoImages for Cyperaceae