A taxonomic revision of Schoenus cuspidatus and allies (Cyperaceae, tribe Schoeneae) - Part 2 Author Elliott, T. L. Author Muasya, A. M. text South African Journal of Botany 2020 2020-05-31 130 327 347 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2019.12.015 journal article 286002 10.1016/j.sajb.2019.12.015 34fced75-99c5-4156-8787-f586d0263f6f 1727-9321 10496754

Table 2 Summary of key inflorescence, spikelet and nutlet characters used to differentiate species in the S. cuspidatus group. Dimensions are listed in mm and include 25 th and 75 th quartile values. Minimum and maximum values are given in brackets for cases where they are sufficiently different than quartile values. More detailed descriptions of characters are given under the circumscription for each species.

	Primary proximal bracts				Nutlet
	widened/thickened	Spikelet	Spikelet	Nutlet	dimensions
	at base	shape	dimensions (mm)	shape	(mm)	Comments
S. auritus	Widened: yes	Narrow ovate	3.9–6.6 ×	Broad elliptic	1.8 ×	Plant appears
	Thickened and firm: no		0.8–1.8 mm		0.8	semi-succulent
S. graminifolius	Widened: yes	Lanceolate	5.2–7.1 ×	Broad elliptic	1.4–2.3 ×	Basal leaves up to height
	Thickened and firm: no		1.1–1.4		1.0–1.1	of culm
S. ligulatus	Widened: no	Linear-lanceolate	4.6–5.7(— 7.4) ×	Narrow elliptic	2.1–3.7 ×
	Thickened and firm: no		0.6–1.3	(long)	0.5–0.9
S. exilis	Widened: no	Linear	3.4–4.9 ×	Narrow elliptic	1.8–2.6 ×	Relatively short plant
	Thickened and firm: no	-lanceolate to	0.6–1.2	(short)	0.3–0.9
		lanceolate
S. bolusii	Widened: no	Lanceolate to	(2.4–)2.8–3.6 ×	Broad elliptic	1.2–1.9 ×	Characteristic reddish-
	Thickened and firm: no	slightly ovate	(0.6–)0.9–1.2		0.5–1.0(— 1.2)	purple streaks on sheaths and
						spikelets; leaves
						usually curled
S. submarginalis	Widened: no	Lanceolate to	(2.2–)3.0–3.9(— 4.1) ×	Broad elliptic	2.2–2.4 ×	Characteristic reddish-
	Thickened and firm: no	slightly ovate	1.0–1.2		0.7–1.3	purple streaking on
						spikelets; leaves usually straight
S. crassiculmis	Widened: sometimes slightly	Lanceolate	3.4–4.8(— 6.3) ×	Broad elliptic	2.0–2.5 ×	Plant appears semi-
	Thickened and firm: no		0.7–1.4		0.7–1.5	succulent (not as much as S.
						auritus); short basal leaves
S. quartziticus	Widened: no	Lanceolate	3.4–3.9 ×	Broad elliptic	1.9–2.0 ×	Plant endemic to quartz
	Thickened and firm: no		0.7–1.0		0.6–0.7	patches; glumes scarious
S. limosus	Widened: no	Lanceolate	3.6–5.0(— 6.3) ×	Broad elliptic	NA	Plant often occurring in damp
	Thickened and firm: no		0.6–1.4			sites in grasslands; inflores-
						cence long and dense, light
						brown in colour; spikelets
						aristate
S. purpurascens	Widened: no	Ovate	2.6–4.1 ×	NA	NA	Plant has loose membranaceous
	Thickened and firm: no		1.0–1.7			leaf sheaths and
						non-channelled basal leaves;
						spikelets short and ovate
S. prophyllus	Widened: no	Ovate	2.8–3.0 ×	NA	NA	Plant has well-developed, shiny
	Thickened and firm: yes		1.0–1.5			spikelet prophylls
S. calceolus	Widened: no	Ovate	2.4–4.0 ×	NA	NA	Culm bases flattened and held
	Thickened and firm: no		1.1–1.4			grouped together by a thin
						sheath
S. brunnescens	Widened: no	Lanceolate	2.7 — 4.0 ×	Spherical	1.0 — 1.4 ×	Plants often with brown base;
	Thickened and firm: no		0.5 — 1.1	(needs more	0.5 — 0.6	spikelets and nutlets small
				study)
S. compactus	Widened: Sometimes slightly	Lanceolate	(3.7–)4.5 — 5.7(— 7.4) ×	Broad elliptic	(1.2 —)1.7 — 2.7 ×	Plant often light reddish-brown;
	Thickened and firm: yes	(aristate)	(0.5–)0.9 — 1.1(— 2.0)		0.6 — 1.1(— 1.4)	Inflorescence short, dense and
						congested
S. crassus	Widened: no	Lanceolate	4.2 — 5.2(— 5.9) ×	Broad elliptic	NA	Plant often light reddish-brown;
	Thickened and firm: yes	(aristate)	(0.6–)0.9 — 1.1(— 1.5)			Inflorescence not congested
S. loreus	Widened: no	Lanceolate	3.7 — 4.9(— 6.3) ×	Broad elliptic	(1.3 —)2.1 — 2.8(— 3.3) ×	Plant large and robust with flat
	Thickened and firm: no	(cuspidate)	0.6 — 1.1(— 1.5)		0.7 — 1.2	leaves; inflorescence long and
						dense
S. galpinii	Widened: no	Lanceolate	(4.1–)5.2 — 5.6(— 6.8) ×	Broad elliptic	1.8 — 2.6 ×	Spikelet prophyll and glume
	Thickened and firm: no	(cuspidate)	(0.7–)1.0 — 1.4		0.9 — 1.2	awns relatively short so that
						inflorescence does not appear
						' bearded'
S. riparius	Widened: no	Lanceolate	(4.8–)5.4 — 5.9(— 6.2) ×	Broad elliptic	2.3 — 3.2(— 3.8) ×	Plant large and robust with
	Thickened and firm: no	(aristate)	1.0 — 1.4(— 1.6)		0.7 — 1.3	terete leaves; inflorescence long
						and dense
S. cuspidatus	Widened: no	Lanceolate	(3.2–)4.2 — 5.3(— 7.1) ×	Broad elliptic	(1.4 —)2.1 — 2.5(— 3.0) ×	Cuspidate spikelets
	Thickened and firm: no	(cuspidate)	(0.6–)0.9 — 1.3(— 1.9)		0.6 — 1.3
S. graciliculmis	Widened: no	Lanceolate	(3.0–)4.0 — 4.9(— 5.6) ×	Broad elliptic	2.2 — 2.7(— 3.1) ×	Inflorescence has little cluster-
	Thickened and firm: no	(aristate)	(0.6–)0.9 — 1.3(— 1.7)		(0.8 —)1.0 — 1.1(— 1.4)	ing of spikes into clusters, as
						well as spikelets into spikes
S. australis	Widened: no	Lanceolate	(3.0–)3.8 — 4.5(— 5.3) ×	Broad elliptic	1.8 — 2.6(— 2.9) ×	Species endemic to near the
	Thickened and firm: no	(somewhat	0.6 — 1.0(— 1.4)		0.9 — 1.0	coast, mostly on sandy sites;
		aristate)				inflorescence relatively long and
						'bearded', but not as dense as
						S. loreus and S. riparius