English: Sedges; Cypergrass.
Dutch: Zegge.
Use: water chesnut as food, medicine, fodder, Papyrus for paper, fibre, roofing, mat-plaiting.
TaxonomyCyperaceae is a
Family in the order
Poales. In the Apg classifications
Poales is member of the
Commelinoids in the
Liliidae subclass. In the
Apg4 classification the familie
Ecdeiocoleaceae is included in
Cyperaceae.
In the first version of
Plant theory Commelinoids was placed in
Phase 4.
Cyperaceae was placed in
Subphase 1 together with Thyphaceae,
Juncaceae, Thurniaceae,
Rapateaceae,
Mayacaceae and
Xyridaceae.
In the second version of the
Plant theory Commelinoids is split in the Orders
Poales,
Zingiberales,
Commelinales and
Arecales.
Poales is placed in
Phase 2.
Cyperaceae is placed in
Subphase 2 of
Poales.
FamiliesCypercaeae: ± 100 genera; ± 5500 species; Carex is the largest genus with 2000 species.
Ecdeiocoleaceae: Ecdeiocolea, Georgeantha.
Region: cosmopolitan.Botany: habitat wetlands, poor soils; sedgelands.
Stems: triangular, solid; nodes indistinct.
Leaves: spirally arranged in three ranks; basal; sheath closed around stem.
Inflorescence: apical; cluster of spikelets; involucral leaf.
Flowers: bisexual; 3 merous; no sepals, no petals, perianth bristles; 3 anthers, 1 bract; ovary superior, 3 carpels, 1 locule, 1 basal ovule, style 1 to 3 split.
Fruit: achene, fruitwall free from seedcoat.