A taxonomic revision of the Malesian and Australian species of Uncinia (Cyperaceae)

Uncinia Pers., Syn. Pl. 2 (1807) 534; Boeck., Linnaea 41 (1877) 339—352; Clarke, J. Linn. Soc. Bot. 20 (1883) 389—403; Kük., Pfl. R. Heft 38 (1909) 50—67; Nelmes, Kew Bull. (1949) 140—145; Hamlin, Dom. Mus. Bull. 19 (1959) 1—88, t. 1—11 (New Zealand spp.); Edgar, Fl. of New Zealand 2 (1970) 215—235 (New Zealand spp.) Perennial monoecious herbs, glabrous (or with hispid utricles). Stems central, tufted or approximate on a more or less creeping rhizome, erect or ascendent, sharply trigonous to subterete, striate, smooth, or scabrid below the inflorescence. Leaves narrowly linear, flat or involute, more or less scabrid on margins and nerves; basal sheaths bladeless, often disintegrating into fibres. Inflorescence a single, bisexual, terminal spikelet; male part above, shorter than the lower female part. Glumes spirally arranged, ovate to oblong, concave, persistent or caducous, all flower-bearing, the lowest often produced into a setaceous to foliaceous bract. Male flowers naked, consisting of (1) 2 or 3 stamens with linear (or dilated, New World spp.) filaments and linear anthers; connective shortly produced. Female flowers naked, enclosed in a bottle-shaped, obtusely trigonous organ (utricle, perigynium) which is closed up to the truncate top, hispid or (in all Malesian and Australian spp.) glabrous. Style incrassate at the base; stigmas 3, exserted from the utricle. Rhachilla (see note 1) reduced to a rigid bristle below the nut and produced far beyond the mouth of the utricle, hooked at the top. Nut trigonous.