Capitularina
Content
Description
Perennial herbs with a woody, shortly creeping rhizome covered with ovate, many-nerved, fuscous to castaneous sheaths.
Leaves basal, few, subcoriaceous, linear, folded lengthwise (at least when dry), complicate at the base, with 3 prominent nerves, or reduced to bladeless sheaths.
Inflorescence terminal, capitate, consisting of 1-several spikelets.
Flowers hermaphrodite, strongly dorsiventrally compressed;
Distribution
Asia-Tropical: New Guinea present, Solomon Is present
Malesia: New Guinea and Solomon Is., probably monotypic.
Notes
RIDLEY () united Capitularia with the Australian genus Chorizandra R.BR. However, UITTIEN () pointed out that Capitularia is well characterized by the quinquangular stems, not found in the related genera and very unusual in Cyperaceae, the terminal, capitate inflorescence subtended by several long leafy bracts, the four outer empty scales of the flower, the fertile inner ones, and the short stigmas. In Chorizandra the stems are terete, the inflorescence is pseudolateral because of the terete erect involucral bract as though continuing the stem, the outer scales are fertile, the inner ones empty, and the stigmas long. The peculiar nuts of Capitularina seated on a large sterile part are entirely different from those of Chorizandra.