Uncinia

''Uncinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cyperaceae, known as hook-sedges in Australia and as hook grasses or bastard grasses in New Zealand. The genus is characterised by the presence of a long hook formed by an extension of the rachilla, which is used to attach the fruit to passing animals (epizoochory), especially birds, and it is this feature which gives the genus its name, from the Latin ''uncinus'', meaning a hook or barb.

Systematics

''Uncinia'' is a "satellite genus" of the very large genus ''Carex'', alongside other satellites such as '' Cymophyllus'', ''Kobresia'', '' Schoenoxiphium'', '' Vesicarex''. ''Uncinia'' seems to form a monophyletic group, with the most distinct species being '' U. kingii'', a species which has sometimes been placed in the genus ''Carex''. Similarly, '' Carex microglochin'' has sometimes been included in ''Uncinia'', as ''U. microglochin''.

Distribution

''Uncinia'' has a Gondwanan distribution, with most species found Australia, New Zealand and South America, as far north as Mexico and Jamaica. Of the 50–60 species, 30 are endemic to New Zealand, 6 are endemic to the east coast of Australia, and 4 are endemic to the Juan Fernández Islands. Smaller numbers of species are also found in New Guinea, Borneo, the Philippines, Hawaii, Tristan da Cunha, Kerguelen, Île Amsterdam, Île Saint-Paul, and the Prince Edward Islands, although none are known from the mainland of Africa. This distribution suggests that the genus had an origin in Antarctica.

It contains the following species:

*'' Uncinia affinis'' (C. B. Clarke) Hamlin – New Zealand
*''Uncinia andina'' G. A. Wheeler – Argentina
*'' Uncinia angustifolia'' Hamlin – New Zealand
*'' Uncinia araucana'' G. A. Wheeler – Chile
*''Uncinia aspericaulis'' G. A. Wheeler – Juan Fernández Islands
*'' Uncinia astonii'' Hamlin – New Zealand
*'' Uncinia aucklandica'' Hamlin – New Zealand
*'' Uncinia austroamericana'' G. A. Wheeler – Tierra del Fuego
*'' Uncinia banksii'' Boott – New Zealand
*'' Uncinia bracteosa'' Phil. – Chile
*''Uncinia brevicaulis'' Thouars – Hawaii, South America, Falkland Islands, Tristan da Cunha, Juan Fernández Islands
*''Uncinia caespitosa'' Boott – New Zealand
*''Uncinia chilensis'' G. A. Wheeler – Chile
*'' Uncinia clavata'' (Kük.) Hamlin – New Zealand
*'' Uncinia compacta'' R. Br. – Australia
*'' Uncinia costata'' Kük. – Juan Fernández Islands
*'' Uncinia dawsonii'' Hamlin – New Caledonia
*'' Uncinia debilior'' F. Muell. – Lord Howe Island
*'' Uncinia dikei'' Nelmes – Marion Island
*'' Uncinia distans'' Col. ex Boott – New Zealand
*''Uncinia divaricata'' Boott – New Zealand
*'' Uncinia douglasii'' Boott – Juan Fernández Islands
*'' Uncinia drucei'' Hamlin – New Zealand
*'' Uncinia ecuadorensis'' G. A. Wheeler & Goetgh. – Ecuador
*''Uncinia egmontiana'' Hamlin – New Zealand
*'' Uncinia elegans'' (Kük.) Hamlin – New Zealand, Tasmania
*'' Uncinia erinacea'' Pers. – South America
*'' Uncinia ferruginea'' Boott – New Zealand
*'' Uncinia filiformis'' Boott – New Zealand
*'' Uncinia flaccida'' S. T. Blake – Victoria ( Australia)
*'' Uncinia fuscovaginata'' Kük. – New Zealand
*'' Uncinia gracilenta'' Hamlin – New Zealand
*''Uncinia hamata'' (Sw.) Urb. – Neotropics
*''Uncinia hookeri'' Boott – New Zealand's subantarctic islands, Macquarie Island
*'' Uncinia involuta'' Hamlin – New Zealand
*''Uncinia kingii'' R.Br. ''ex'' Boott – Chile
*''Uncinia koyamai'' Gómez-Laur. – Costa Rica
*'' Uncinia lacustris'' G. A. Wheeler – Ecuador
*'' Uncinia laxiflora'' Petrie – New Zealand
*'' Uncinia lechleriana'' Steud. – Magellan Region
*''Uncinia leptostachya'' Raoul – New Zealand
*'' Uncinia loliacea'' Phil. – Chile
*''Uncinia longifructus'' (Kük.) Petrie – New Zealand
*'' Uncinia macloviformis'' G. A. Wheeler – Juan Fernández Islands
*''Uncinia macrophylla'' Steud. – Chile
*''Uncinia macrotricha'' Franch. – Patagonia
*''Uncinia meridensis'' Steyerm. – Venezuela
*'' Uncinia multifaria'' Nees ''ex'' Boott – Chile
*'' Uncinia multifolia'' Boeckeler – Colombia
*''Uncinia negeri'' Kük. – Chile
*'' Uncinia nemoralis'' K. L. Wilson – Australia
*'' Uncinia nervosa'' Boott – New Zealand, Tasmania
*''Uncinia obtusifolia'' Boott – New Zealand
*'' Uncinia ohwiana'' Koyama – New Guinea
*'' Uncinia paludosa'' G. A. Wheeler & Goetgh. – Ecuador
*''Uncinia perplexa'' Boott – Surville Cliffs (New Zealand)
*''Uncinia phleoides'' (Cav.) Pers. – Juan Fernández Islands, South America
*''Uncinia purpurata'' Petrie – New Zealand
*''Uncinia rapaensis'' H. St. John – Tubuai
*'' Uncinia rubra'' Boott – New Zealand
*'' Uncinia rupestris'' Raoul – New Zealand
*'' Uncinia scabra'' Boott – New Zealand
*'' Uncinia scabriuscula'' G. A. Wheeler – Argentina, Chile
*'' Uncinia sclerophylla'' Nelmes – New Guinea
*''Uncinia silvestris'' Hamlin – New Zealand
*'' Uncinia sinclairii'' Boott – New Zealand
*'' Uncinia smithii'' Phil. – South Georgia, Falkland Islands
*''Uncinia strictissima'' Petrie – New Zealand
*'' Uncinia subsacculata'' G. A. Wheeler & Goetgh. – Ecuador
*'' Uncinia subtrigona'' Nelmes – Borneo, New Guinea
*'' Uncinia sulcata'' K. L. Wilson – Australia
*''Uncinia tenella'' R. Br. – Australia
*'' Uncinia tenuifolia'' G. A. Wheeler & Goetgh. – Ecuador
*''Uncinia tenuis'' Poeppig ''ex'' Kunth – Juan Fernández Islands, South America
*'' Uncinia uncinata'' (L. f.) Kük. – New Zealand, Hawaii
*''Uncinia viridis'' (C. B. Clarke) Edgar – New Zealand
*''Uncinia zotovii'' Hamlin – New Zealand

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q7882664

Cyperaceae genera
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot