492.000 Rhynchospora Vahl

Description of the genus

Perennial (in ours) leafy herbs. Rhizome short and creeping or rudimentary. Leaves numerous, usually stiff with minute spine-like teeth on the margin, either densely crowded at the base, or well spaced along the stem. Ligule 0 or rudimentary. Inflorescence usually a panicle, frequently the branches ending in corymbs. Spikelets with spirally arranged glumes; usually the lowest 3-5 glumes empty, the upper bisexual and the uppermost male only. Perianth 0 (candida) or consisting of 6 bristles with minute spine-like teeth directed towards apex. Stamens 2-3. Stigmas 2 or style subentire. Nutlet transversely wavy or smooth; base of style persistent as a conic or flattened cap.

Comment: The exact occurrence of species in this genus is as yet unknown and the list is incomplete. Some of the species are listed solely on the basis of Malawi being cited in the distribution of the species in Flora of Tropical East Africa.

Worldwide: c. 250 species, ± cosmopolitan, but especially tropical and warm areas of S America

Malawi: 2 taxa.

No image yet

Links to taxa:     View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this genus

SpeciesFZ divisionsContent
eximia (Nees) Boeck.
rugosa (Vahl) Gale subsp. brownii (Roem. & Schult.) T.KoyamaN,S

Other sources of information about Rhynchospora:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Rhynchospora
Flora of Caprivi: Rhynchospora
Flora of Caprivi: cultivated Rhynchospora
Flora of Mozambique: Rhynchospora
Flora of Zambia: Rhynchospora
Flora of Zimbabwe: Rhynchospora

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Rhynchospora
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Rhynchospora
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Rhynchospora
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Rhynchospora
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Rhynchospora
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Rhynchospora
JSTOR Plant Science: Rhynchospora
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Rhynchospora
Plants of the World Online: Rhynchospora
Tropicos: Rhynchospora
Wikipedia: Rhynchospora

Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2014-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Malawi: Genus page: Rhynchospora.
https://www.malawiflora.com/speciesdata/genus.php?genus_id=288, retrieved 19 March 2024

Site software last modified: 12 October 2020 11:05pm
Terms of use