The Jepson Herbarium
		University of California, Berkeley

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Generally perennial herb, generally erect, generally with long, scaly rhizomes; stem, leaf generally with air cavities.
Stem: simple, smooth, ( wiry).
Leaf: generally all basal, whorled or 3-ranked; blade generally present, at least on distal sheath, smooth, or margin minute- scabrous; sheath closed, long; ligule glabrous.
Inflorescence: terminal, branch stems often scabrous, main inflorescence bract like leaf blade; spikelets ovate, not ± flat, many-flowered; flower bracts spiraled, each with 1 flower in axil, ovate, 1-veined, brown to straw, dull, often fine-lined-spotted, membranous, generally ± scabrous, tip generally notched, generally with short awn.
Flower: bisexual; perianth bristles ± straight, ± <= fruit, generally brown, reflexed- barbed (or with soft hairs) [(smooth)]; stamens generally 3; style 1, thread-like, base not enlarged, stigmas 2–3.
Fruit: generally obovate, brown, generally smooth, mucronate; tubercle 0.
Wetlands, often emergent (or submersed).
± 77 species: temperate, subtrop, worldwide. (Greek: rush woven, from use of stems in baskets, etc.) [Smith 2002 FNANM 23:44–60]
Unabridged etymology: (Greek, schoenos, a rush, reed, and plectos, plaited, twisted, woven, in reference to the use of stems in making useful objects)

Key to Schoenoplectus

1. St 3-sided, at least near inflorescence, where sometimes obscure

2. Infl panicle-like ..... S. californicus

2A. Infl head-like or spikelet 1 ..... [S. triqueter] (2)

2A' Infl panicle-like (or spikelet 1)

2B. Plant 1–4 m; stem 4–10 mm diam, blunt-3-sided throughout to cylindric proximally, obscure-3-sided near inflorescence; spikelets 25–150+; perianth bristles 2–4, soft-hairy ..... S. californicus

2B' Plant 0.5–1.5 m; stem 2–4 mm diam, 3-sided; spikelets 1–35; perianth bristles 4–6, barbed ..... [S. triqueter] (2)

2' Infl head-like or spikelet 1

3. Lf blades 0; flower bract tips not notched; fruit with many wavy transverse ridges; plant tufted, rhizomes short, inconspicuous ..... S. mucronatus

3' Lf blades 1–6; flower bract tips notched; fruit smooth; plant mat-forming, rhizomes long, conspicuous

4. Distal leaf blade < 1.5 × sheath; flower bract tip notch 0.1–0.4 mm, awn 0.2–0.6 mm ..... S. americanus

4' Distal leaf blade (1)2–5 × sheath; flower bract tip notch (0.3)0.5–1 mm, awn 0.5–2.5 mm ..... S. pungens var. longispicatus

1' St cylindric

5. St <= 1.5 mm diam; plant to 1.5 m; flower bract tip notch 0; spikelets 1–20

6. Spikelets 1–20, spreading; fruit with sharp wavy transverse ridges; plant tufted, rhizomes short, generally not evident ..... S. saximontanus

6' Spikelets 1, erect; fruit smooth; plant mat-forming, rhizomes long, evident ..... S. subterminalis

5' St 2–10 mm diam; plant to 4 m; flower bract tip notch present; spikelets 3–100+

7. Fl bract awns some or all markedly contorted, 0.5–2 mm (often broken off); spikelets 3–100+, in clusters of 1–8, not all 1 on 1 plant ..... S. acutus var. occidentalis

7' Fl bract awns not or ± contorted, 0.2–1 mm; spikelets 5–200, in clusters of 1(2) or 1–4(7), all 1 on 1 plant or not

8. Fr 3-sided, 1.8–2.2 mm; stigmas 3; spikelets in clusters of 1(2) ..... S. heterochaetus

8' Fr 2-sided, 1.5–1.8 mm; stigmas 2(3); spikelets in clusters of 1–4(7) ..... S. tabernaemontani

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Citation for the whole project: Jepson Flora Project (eds.) [year] Jepson eFlora, http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/IJM.html [accessed on month, day, year]
Citation for an individual treatment: [Author of taxon treatment] [year]. [Taxon name] in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, [URL for treatment]. Accessed on [month, day, year].
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