''Scleria'' is a genus of
flowering plants in the sedge family,
Cyperaceae
The Cyperaceae are a family of graminoid (grass-like), monocotyledonous flowering plants known as sedges. The family is large, with some 5,500 known species described in about 90 genera, the largest being the "true sedges" genus ''Carex'' w ...
. They are known commonly as nutrushes.
[''Scleria''.]
Integrated Taxonomic Information System. They are distributed throughout the
tropical world, and some have ranges extending into
temperate areas.
[''Scleria''.]
Flora of China. There are about 200 species.
[
The genus name ''Scleria'' is Greek, meaning "hardness", in reference to the tough seeds.]
Plants of this genus are diverse in appearance. These are mostly perennial, but sometimes annual. Some have rhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...
s. They produce solitary stems or clumps of many. They are a few centimeters tall to well over one meter. They have few leaves or many. The inflorescence is variable, ranging from a single spikelet to over 100.[''Scleria''.]
Flora of North America. Despite the variety, examination of the fruits and subterranean structures is required to distinguish species.[
]
References
External links
*Camelbeke, K. and P. Goetghebeur. (2002)
The genus ''Scleria'' (Cyperaceae) in Colombia. An updated checklist.
''Caldasia'' 24(2), 259–68.
Cyperaceae genera
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot
{{Cyperaceae-stub