Scleria
Scleria testacea
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Cyperaceae
Genus: Scleria
P.J.Bergius
Diversity
About 200 species

Scleria is a genus of flowering plants in the sedge family, Cyperaceae. They are known commonly as nutrushes.[1] They are distributed throughout the tropics, and some species have ranges extending into temperate areas.[2] There are about 200 species.[2][3]

Etymology

The genus name Scleria is Greek, meaning "hardness", in reference to the tough seeds.[4]

Description

Plants of this genus are diverse in appearance. These are mostly perennial, but sometimes annual. Some have rhizomes. They produce solitary stems or clumps of many. They are a few centimeters tall to well over one meter. They have few leaves or many. The inflorescence is variable, ranging from a single spikelet to over 100.[3] Despite the variety, examination of the fruits and subterranean structures is required to distinguish species.[2]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Scleria.
  1. ↑ Scleria. Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
  2. 1 2 3 Scleria. Flora of China.
  3. 1 2 Scleria. Flora of North America.
  4. ↑ Merrit Lyndon Fernald (1970). R. C. Rollins (ed.). Gray's Manual of Botany (Eighth (Centennial) - Illustrated ed.). D. Van Nostrand Company. p. 290. ISBN 0-442-22250-5.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.