Schoenus (plant)

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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]

Schoenus
Schoenus nigricans (Black bogrush) in South Africa. This is the most widespread of all Schoenus species.
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Cyperaceae
Genus: Schoenus
L.
Species richness of Schoenus mapped according to botanical regions
Synonyms[1]
  • Melanoschoenos Ség.
  • Chaetospora R.Br.
  • Streblidia Link
  • Helothrix Nees
  • Isoschoenus Nees
  • Cyclocampe Steud.
  • Gymnochaeta Steud.
  • Ptilanthelium Steud.
  • Lepidospora (F.Muell.) F.Muell.
  • Lophocarpus Boeckeler
  • Neolophocarpus E.G.Camus in H.Lecomte

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

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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

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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]

Schoenus species

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Schoenus imberbis
 
Schoenus nanus
 
Schoenus calcatus
 
Illustration of S. antarcticus, native to Tierra del Fuego

As of November 2024, the Plants of the World Online database indicates there are 154 species of Schoenus. [18]

Bogrushes

Southern African Schoenus[14]

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The genus Schoenus includes 44 species from the southern Africa Schoenus clade, which are divided into three main groups.[14]

Veldrushes

Schoenus cuspidatus group[14]

 
Schoenus graminifolius

Epischoenus group[14]

 
Schoenus selinae

Schoenus compar - Schoenus pictus group[14]

 
Flowering head of Schoenus megacarpus

Unplaced species

Synonyms (yet to be incorporated in Plants of the World Online database)

References

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  1. ^ "Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families". Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  2. ^ a b Elliott, Tammy Lynn; Euston-Brown, Doug I. W.; Muasya, A. Muthama (28 April 2020). "Schoenus inconspicuus (Cyperaceae, tribe Schoeneae): a new species from Southern Africa". Phytotaxa. 440 (3): 239–244. doi:10.11646/phytotaxa.440.3.6. S2CID 219006040. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  3. ^ NRCS. "Schoenus". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  4. ^ "Schoenus L." Plants of the World Online. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2022. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
  5. ^ "Atlas of Living Australia". Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  6. ^ New South Wales Flora On-line
  7. ^ Govaerts, R. & Simpson, D.A. (2007). World Checklist of Cyperaceae. Sedges: 1-765. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  8. ^ Flora of China, Vol. 23 Page 256, 赤箭莎属 chi jian suo shu, Schoenus Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 42. 1753.
  9. ^ "Schoenus of Western Australia". FloraBase. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  10. ^ "USDA Plants Profile: North American Species". Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  11. ^ Rydin, Håkan; Jeglum, John K. (2013-07-18). The Biology of Peatlands (Biology of Habitats Series) (2 ed.). OUP Oxford. p. 238. ISBN 9780191508288.
  12. ^ Quattrocchi, Umberto (2023). CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names: Common Names, Scientific Names, Eponyms. Synonyms, and Etymology – Volume IV R–Z. CRC Press.
  13. ^ a b c Larridon, 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.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h i Elliott, T.L.; Muasya, A.M. (2020). "A taxonomic revision of the Epischoenus group of Schoenus (Cyperaceae, tribe Schoeneae)". South African Journal of Botany. 135: 296–316. doi:10.1016/j.sajb.2020.08.029.
  15. ^ Elliott, T.L.; Muasya, A.M. (2017). "Taxonomic realignment in the southern African Tetraria (Cyperaceae, tribe Schoeneae; Schoenus clade)". South African Journal of Botany. 112: 354–360. doi:10.1016/j.sajb.2017.06.011.
  16. ^ Elliott, T.L.; Muasya, A.M. (2018). "A taxonomic revision of Schoenus compar - Schoenus pictus and allies (Cyperaceae, tribe Schoeneae) with three new species described from South Africa". South African Journal of Botany. 114: 303–315. doi:10.1016/j.sajb.2017.11.020.
  17. ^ Elliott, T.L.; Barrett, R.L.; Muasya, A.M. (2019). "A taxonomic revision of Schoenus cuspidatus and allies (Cyperaceae, tribe Schoeneae)—Part 1". South African Journal of Botany. 121: 519–535. doi:10.1016/j.sajb.2018.11.021.
  18. ^ "Schoenus L. | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 2024-11-12.