Scirpus litoralis
Content
Description
Perennial.
Leaves reduced to bladeless or shortly laminate sheaths.
Inflorescence pseudolateral, simple or compound, few- to many-spiculate, 2-8 cm long;
Stamens (2-)3;
Distribution
Africa present, Asia-Tropical: Jawa (Jawa present); Lesser Sunda Is. (Bali present); Philippines (Philippines present), Australasia, Batur Lake present, Kangean present, Lesser Sunda Is present, Luzon present, Madura present, NE. New Guinea present, Pangasinan Province present, S. Asia present, W. Java also inland near Garut present, the Mediterranean region present
From the Mediterranean region through S. Asia to Australia, Africa, in Malesia very rare: Java (here and there near the sea, in W. Java also inland near Garut), Madura, Kangean, Lesser Sunda Is. (Bali: Batur Lake), Philippines (Luzon: Pangasinan Province, MCGREGOR BS 41439, CLEMENS 18104), NE. New Guinea.
Notes
In appearance very similar to S. lacustris, but usually with looser, less compound inflorescence, and easily recognized by the flat, plumose hypogynous scales.
In the Mediterranean plants and also in those from the Middle East, China and Mongolia (S. litoralis s.s.) the stems are sharply triangular throughout; however, in Scirpus this character does not warrant specific separation. S. subulatus was based on speci- mens from the Nicobars identical with the Malesian ones, to which the above description only refers. It may be distinguished as S. litoralis var. subulatus (VAHL) CHIOV. (Distr.: Tropical Africa, S. Africa, Madagascar, India, Malesia, Micronesia). See also . Also the African S. pterolepis KUNTH with more copiously branched inflorescence and longer, oblong spikelets is possibly not specifically distinct from S. litoralis.
In the Mediterranean plants and also in those from the Middle East, China and Mongolia (S. litoralis s.s.) the stems are sharply triangular throughout; however, in Scirpus this character does not warrant specific separation. S. subulatus was based on speci- mens from the Nicobars identical with the Malesian ones, to which the above description only refers. It may be distinguished as S. litoralis var. subulatus (VAHL) CHIOV. (Distr.: Tropical Africa, S. Africa, Madagascar, India, Malesia, Micronesia). See also . Also the African S. pterolepis KUNTH with more copiously branched inflorescence and longer, oblong spikelets is possibly not specifically distinct from S. litoralis.
Citation
BACK. 1928: Onkr. Suiker: 150: t. 152
KUNTH 1837 – In: En.: 165
SCHRAD. 1909: Ill. Cyp.: t. 50
Benth. 1878 – In: Fl. Austr.: 334
VALCK. SUR. 1912 – In: Nova Guinea: 705
OHWI 1944 – In: Mem. Coll. Sc. Kyoto Imp. Un. B: 122
STEEN. 1932: Arch. Hydrobiol: 289: f. 73
K.SCH. & HOLLR. 1889: Fl. Kais. Wilhelm Land: 25
KERN 1968 – In: Back. & Bakh.f., Fl. Java 3: 459
Clarke 1893 – In: Fl. Br. Ind.: 659
STEUD. 1855 – In: Syn.: 86
BACK. 1949 – In: Bekn. Fl. Java, (em. ed.): fam. 246, p. 10
BOECK. 1870 – In: Linnaea: 715
Miq. 1856 – In: Fl. Ind. Bat.: 306
KUNTH 1837 – In: En.: 166