Structure of the Cyperaceae Inflorescence

Radiation and repeated transoceanic dispersal of Schoeneae (Cyperaceae) through the southern hemisphere

“…Morphological classification in Cyperaceae suffers from uncertainty in character homology, especially pertaining to reproductive structures (e.g., Bruhl, 1991; Vrijdaghs et al, 2007; Reutemann et al, 2012). While analyses of floral ontogeny are helping to cut this Gordian knot (Vrijdaghs et al, 2009, 2010; Prychid and Bruhl, 2013), they are most useful in secondary homology assessment, requiring an a priori phylogenetic hypothesis based on independent data, such as those provided by DNA sequences.…”

MakingCarexmonophyletic (Cyperaceae, tribe Cariceae): a new broader circumscription

“…Although terms such as spike, unispicate and multispicate are widely used and relatively easy to understand for the large majority of Carex s.s. , Cymophyllus and Uncinia spp., they are not technically correct and can be misleading when trying to interpret homology in inflorescence structure. What is generally called a spike in Cariceae is actually a spike of spikelets or stachyodium (Reutemann et al ., ). This may be further ramified in Schoenoxiphium if additional perigynia are produced on the primary rachilla axis emerging from a perigynium (Levyns, ; Gehrke et al ., ) (Fig.…”

“…Bracts subtending the lateral and higher order spikes tend to decrease in size from the base to apex of the culm and vary from foliaceous to small scale‐like structures. Processes such as truncation or axis abortion, homogenization, initiation or suppression of paracladia, elongation or reduction of internodes, increases or decreases in degree of branching, reduction or suppression of bracts or prophylls and others operate in different ways and combinations to give the variety of inflorescence forms seen in the tribe (Guarise & Vegetti, ; Reutemann et al ., ). These recurrent patterns are least obvious in subgenus Vignea , in which the position effects on the production of female vs. male flowers appear to be minimal and additional processes must be invoked to derive the various patterns (for examples, see Timonen, ).…”

“…Snell, ; Blaser, ; Levyns, ; Holttum, ; Kukkonen, , , ; Kern, ; Eiten, ; Smith & Faulkner, ; Goetghebeur, ; Reznicek, ; Bruhl, ; Timonen, ; Richards, Bruhl & Wilson, ; Prychid & Bruhl, ). Detailed new typological interpretations of inflorescence structure in tribe Cariceae (Vegetti, , ; Guarise & Vegetti, ; Molina, Acedo & Llamas, ; Reutemann et al ., ) and ontogenetic studies of floral development in Cariceae using scanning electron microscopy published during the last decade (Vrijdaghs et al ., , ; Gehrke et al ., ) demonstrate the similarities in basic architecture of the inflorescence. The terminology used to describe inflorescences in Cariceae has been applied inconsistently (Reznicek, ; Kukkonen, ; Vegetti, ; Molina et al ., ; Reutemann et al ., ) and efforts to apply typological principles to inflorescence description strictly, whilst demonstrating the similarity in inflorescence architecture across Cariceae, have also resulted in a proliferation of terminology unfamiliar to non‐specialists.…”

“…Many of these terms are familiar only to specialists, and so only essential ones will be used here. Following recent interpretations (Guarise & Vegetti, ; Molina et al ., ; Reutemann et al ., ), each flowering culm in a sedge plant is a synflorescence that ends in a terminal aggregation of usually staminate flowers that represents the main florescence (Fig. H, I, K).…”