Lepironia

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Lepironia

Description

Perennial herbs with rush-like habit. Leaves reduced to bladeless sheaths open in front, the margins overlapping. Inflorescence consisting of a single spikelet, apparently lateral owing to the single erect involucral bract continuing the stem. Flowers strongly dorsiventrally compressed. Stamens several (up to c. 10?), one in the axil of each of the keeled scales, the others solitary in the axils of the outer flat scales; Ovary terminal;

Distribution

Australasia, Madagascar present, Oceania present
Usually considered a monotypic genus extending from Madagascar to Australia and Oceania. However, it is very likely that ENDLICHER () was right in uniting Lepironia with Chorizandra R.BR. The latter genus comprises 4 Australian spp. in habit very similar to Lepironia and with essentially the same flower-structure. The nut in Chorizandra possesses c. 8 very prominent longitudinal ribs.
The species referred to Lepironia by MIQUEL belong to Mapania and Thoracostachyum.