Author:
Qjure
Book:
Qjurious
Type:
Info
Chapter:
3-633.22.00
Cyperaceae
English: Sedges; Cypergrass.
Dutch: Zegge.
Use: water chesnut as food, medicine, fodder, Papyrus for paper, fibre, roofing, mat-plaiting.
Taxonomy
Cyperaceae 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.
Families
Cypercaeae: ± 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.