Family of flowering plants known as sedges
TheCyperaceae (/ˌ s aɪ p ə ˈ r eɪ s i . iː , -ˌ aɪ / ) are a family ofgraminoid (grass-like),monocotyledonous flowering plants known assedges . Thefamily is large; botanists havedescribed some 5,500 known species in about 90genera [ 3] [ 4] – the largest being the "truesedges " (genusCarex ),[ 5] [ 6] with over 2,000 species.[ 7]
Totora made artificialfloating island communities of theUru peoples inLake Titicaca Cyperaceae species are widely distributed with the centers of diversity for the group occurring intropical Asia and tropicalSouth America . While sedges grow in almost all environments, many thrive inwetlands or in poor soils.Ecological communities dominated by sedges are known assedgelands or assedge meadows .
Some species superficially resemble the closely relatedrushes and the more distantly relatedgrasses . Features distinguishing members of the sedge family from grasses or rushes are stems with triangular cross-sections (with occasional exceptions, a notable example being thetule that has a round cross-section) and leaves that are spirally arranged in threeranks . In comparison, grasses have alternate leaves, forming two ranks.[ 8] [ 9] This difference leads to the mnemonic "sedges have edges" in order to tell them apart from generally roundrushes or hollow, noddedgrasses .[ 10] [ 11]
Some well-known sedges include the water chestnut (Eleocharis dulcis ) and the papyrus sedge (Cyperus papyrus ), from which the writing materialpapyrus was made. This family also includes cotton-grass (Eriophorum ), spike-rush (Eleocharis ), sawgrass (Cladium ), nutsedge or nutgrass (also called chufa,Cyperus esculentus /Cyperus rotundus , a cultivated crop and common weed), white star sedge (Rhynchospora colorata ), and umbrella sedge (Cyperus alternifolius ), also known as umbrella papyrus
Members of this family are characterised by the formation ofdauciform (carrot-like) roots that are an alteration in root morphology that researchers regard as analogous tocluster roots inProteaceae , which help uptake of nutrients such asphosphorus from poor soil.[ 12] Like other members of the order Poales, sedges are mostlywind-pollinated , but there are exceptions.Cyperus niveus andCyperus sphaerocephalus , both with accordingly more conspicuous flowers, are insect-pollinated.[ 13]
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Researchers have identified sedges occurring at least as early as theEocene epoch.[ 14]
As of 2024[update] , 93 genera are accepted byKew 'sPlants of the World Online .[ 2]
^ Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (2009)."An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG III" .Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society .161 (2):105– 121.doi :10.1111/j.1095-8339.2009.00996.x .hdl :10654/18083 . ^a b "Cyperaceae" .Plants of the World Online .Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved22 August 2024 .^ Christenhusz, M. J. M.; Byng, J. W. (2016)."The number of known plants species in the world and its annual increase" .Phytotaxa .261 (3).Magnolia Press :201– 217.doi :10.11646/phytotaxa.261.3.1 .Archived from the original on 29 July 2016. Retrieved14 July 2016 . ^ R. Govaerts; D. A. Simpson; with J. Bruhl; T. Egorova; P. Goetghebeur; K. Wilson (2007).Word Checklist of Cyperaceae: Sedges .Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew .ISBN 978-1-84246-199-0 . ^ "sedge family" .Merriam-Webster .Archived from the original on 26 December 2013. Retrieved25 December 2013 .^ Milne, Lorus Johnson; Milne, Margery Joan Greene (1975).Living plants of the world .Random House . p. 301. ^ Hipp, Andrew L. (2007)."Nonuniform processes of chromosome evolution in sedges (Carex: Cyperaceae)" .Evolution .61 (9):2175– 2194.doi :10.1111/j.1558-5646.2007.00183.x .ISSN 0014-3820 .PMID 17767589 .S2CID 19514206 . ^ "Grasslike non-grasses" . Backyard Nature.Archived from the original on 5 March 2009. Retrieved30 December 2014 .^ Ball, Peter W.; Reznicek, A. A.; Murray, David F. (2002)."Cyperaceae" . In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.).Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA) . Vol. 23. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press – via eFloras.org,Missouri Botanical Garden , St. Louis, MO &Harvard University Herbaria , Cambridge, MA. ^ "Telling apart grasses, sedges, rushes | Grasses at a Glance | Illinois Extension | UIUC" .extension.illinois.edu . 17 April 2023. Retrieved2 November 2024 .^ "Sedges Have Edges . . . (Grasses, Sedges & Rushes)" .www.hiltonpond.org . Retrieved2 November 2024 .^ Shane, Michael W.; Cawthray, Gregory R.; Cramer, Michael D.; Kuo, John; Lambers, Hans (2006)."Specialized 'dauciform' roots of Cyperaceae are structurally distinct, but functionally analogous with 'cluster' roots" .Plant, Cell & Environment .29 (10):1989– 1999.doi :10.1111/j.1365-3040.2006.01574.x .ISSN 0140-7791 .PMID 16930324 . ^ Wragg, Peter D.; Johnson, Steven D. (September 2011)."Transition from wind pollination to insect pollination in sedges: experimental evidence and functional traits" .New Phytologist .191 (4):1128– 1140.doi :10.1111/j.1469-8137.2011.03762.x .ISSN 0028-646X .PMID 21585389 . ^ Shribbs, John (2021)."Sedges in our wetlands" . Petaluma Wetlands Alliance. Retrieved21 February 2024 .Fossil sedges are known from as early as the Eocene 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya) and modern sedges are very similar to ancient fossils.