''Morelotia'' is a genus of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

s belonging to the family

Cyperaceae The Cyperaceae () are a family of graminoid (grass-like), monocotyledonous flowering plants known as wikt:sedge, sedges. The family (biology), family is large; botanists have species description, described some 5,500 known species in about 90 ...

. It contains six species of

sedge The Cyperaceae () are a family of graminoid (grass-like), monocotyledonous flowering plants known as wikt:sedge, sedges. The family (biology), family is large; botanists have species description, described some 5,500 known species in about 90 ...

s native to New Zealand, the

Hawaiian Islands The Hawaiian Islands () are an archipelago of eight major volcanic islands, several atolls, and numerous smaller islets in the Pacific Ocean, North Pacific Ocean, extending some from the Hawaii (island), island of Hawaii in the south to nort ...

Tubuai Islands The Austral Islands ( officially ''Archipel des Australes;'' ) are the southernmost group of islands in French Polynesia, an overseas country of the French Republic in the South Pacific. Geographically, they consist of two separate archipelagos ...

, and

Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...

. The genus name of ''Morelotia'' is in honour of Simon Morelot (1751–1809), a French

apothecary ''Apothecary'' () is an Early Modern English, archaic English term for a medicine, medical professional who formulates and dispenses ''materia medica'' (medicine) to physicians, surgeons and patients. The modern terms ''pharmacist'' and, in Brit ...

and also member and professor at the college of pharmacy. It was first described and published in Voy. Uranie on page 416 in 1829.

Known species

According to Kew: *'' Morelotia affinis'' – New Zealand *'' Morelotia australiensis'' – Southwest Australia *'' Morelotia gahniiformis'' – Hawaiian Islands *'' Morelotia involuta'' – Tubuai Islands *'' Morelotia microcarpa'' – Southwest Australia *'' Morelotia octandra'' – Southwest Australia

References

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q9035127 Cyperaceae Cyperaceae genera Plants described in 1829 Flora of New Zealand Flora of Hawaii