Cyperaceae taxon details
Costularia C.B.Clarke
Cyclocampe Benth. & Hook.f. · unaccepted
Lophoschoenus Stapf · unaccepted
- Species Costularia andringitrensis Larridon
- Species Costularia baronii C.B.Clarke
- Species Costularia brevifolia Cherm.
- Species Costularia cadetii Larridon
- Species Costularia humbertii Bosser
- Species Costularia itremoensis Larridon
- Species Costularia leucocarpa (Ridl.) H.Pfeiff.
- Species Costularia melicoides (Poir.) C.B.Clarke
- Species Costularia melleri (Baker) C.B.Clarke ex Cherm.
- Species Costularia microcarpa (Cherm.) Kük.
- Species Costularia natalensis C.B.Clarke
- Species Costularia pantopoda (Baker) C.B.Clarke ex Cherm.
- Species Costularia purpurea Cherm.
- Species Costularia robusta (Cherm.) Larridon
- Species Costularia xipholepis (Baker) Henriette & Senterre
- Species Costularia arundinacea (Sol. ex Vahl) Kük. accepted as Tetraria arundinacea (Sol. ex Vahl) T.Koyama
- Species Costularia brevicaulis C.B.Clarke accepted as Capeobolus brevicaulis (C.B.Clarke) J.Browning
- Species Costularia breviseta J.Raynal accepted as Tetraria breviseta (J.Raynal) Larridon
- Species Costularia chamaedendron (Guillaumin) Kük. accepted as Chamaedendron kuekenthaliana Larridon
- Species Costularia comosa (C.B.Clarke) Kük. accepted as Tetraria comosa (C.B.Clarke) T.Koyama
- Species Costularia daenikeri Kük. accepted as Tetraria arundinacea (Sol. ex Vahl) T.Koyama
- Species Costularia elongata (Kunth) Kük. accepted as Costularia melicoides (Poir.) C.B.Clarke
- Species Costularia explicatior Cherm. accepted as Costularia melicoides (Poir.) C.B.Clarke
- Species Costularia falcifolia (Däniker) Kük. accepted as Chamaedendron xyridioides (Däniker) Larridon
- Species Costularia fragilis (Däniker) Kük. accepted as Chamaedendron fragilis (Däniker) Larridon
- Species Costularia hornei (C.B.Clarke) Kük. accepted as Xyroschoenus hornei (C.B.Clarke) Larridon
- Species Costularia laxa Cherm. accepted as Costularia purpurea Cherm.
- Species Costularia melleri C.B.Clarke accepted as Costularia melleri (Baker) C.B.Clarke ex Cherm. (unaccepted > nomen nudum)
- Species Costularia neocaledonica Rendle accepted as Chamaedendron neocaledonica (Rendle) Larridon
- Species Costularia nervosa J.Raynal accepted as Chamaedendron nervosa (J.Raynal) Larridon
- Species Costularia paludosa (R.Br.) C.B.Clarke accepted as Anthelepis paludosa (R.Br.) R.L.Barrett, K.L.Wilson & J.J.Bruhl
- Species Costularia pilisepala (Steud.) J.Kern accepted as Tetraria pilisepala (Steud.) Larridon
- Species Costularia pubescens J.Raynal accepted as Tetraria raynaliana Larridon
- Species Costularia recurva C.B.Clarke accepted as Costularia leucocarpa (Ridl.) H.Pfeiff.
- Species Costularia setacea J.Raynal accepted as Tetraria setacea (J.Raynal) Larridon
- Species Costularia stagnalis (Däniker) Kük. accepted as Tetraria stagnalis (Däniker) T.Koyama
- Species Costularia sylvestris J.Raynal accepted as Tetraria sylvestris (J.Raynal) Larridon
- Species Costularia urvilleana (Gaudich. ex Boeckeler) Kük. accepted as Tetraria pilisepala (Steud.) Larridon
- Species Costularia xyridoides (Däniker) Kük. accepted as Chamaedendron xyridioides (Däniker) Larridon
- Species Costularia yarrabensis (Domin) H.Pfeiff. accepted as Schoenus yarrabensis Domin
- Species Costularia guillauminii Kük. ex Guillaumin (uncertain > unassessed)
- Subgenus Costularia subg. subgen. Chamaedendron Kük. (uncertain > unassessed)
terrestrial
Not documented
Description Perennial herbs, small to tall, tufted or more rarely shortly rhizomatous, caudex sometimes present. Culms scapose or with...
Distribution Southeastern Africa (Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe), Madagascar, the Mascarenes (La Réunion,...
Taxonomic remark Source in seed data: TPL1.1 Update namepublishedIn from Fl. Cap. 7: 274. 1898. to Fl. Cap. 7: 274 (1898), information...
Description Perennial herbs, small to tall, tufted or more rarely shortly rhizomatous, caudex sometimes present. Culms scapose or with few nodes. Leaves usually both basal and caudal; basal leaves with poorly defined sheaths; cauline leaves enveloping up to ½ internode length; margins scabrid, spirodistichous, eligulate, blade sometimes deciduous. Inflorescence terminal, (contracted) paniculate with few to numerous spikelets; primary bracts ± leaf-like, sheathing. Spikelets with several distichous, deciduous glumes, of increasing length, the upper (1–)2 glumes each subtending a flower, enclosed by the wings of the next glume. Flowers, lower one (functionally) male (rarely bisexual or absent), upper one bisexual or functionally female (rarely functionally male). Perianth bristles 6, fimbriate to ciliate, mostly longer than the nutlet and deciduous with it. Stamens 3. Style trifid, style base often distinct (at anthesis), thickened, persistent, often scabrid. Nutlet ovoid or oblong, rounded trigonous, often 3-ribbed, ± stipitate, beaked, surface smooth or rugulose. [details]
Distribution Southeastern Africa (Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe), Madagascar, the Mascarenes (La Réunion,...
Distribution Southeastern Africa (Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe), Madagascar, the Mascarenes (La Réunion, Mauritius), and the Seychelles (Mahé). [details]
Taxonomic remark Source in seed data: TPL1.1 Update namepublishedIn from Fl. Cap. 7: 274. 1898. to Fl. Cap. 7: 274 (1898), information...
Taxonomic remark Source in seed data: TPL1.1 Update namepublishedIn from Fl. Cap. 7: 274. 1898. to Fl. Cap. 7: 274 (1898), information provided by Alan E. on email Jun. 07 2021 More details could be found in [details]
Cyperaceae Working Group. (2025). [see How to cite]. Global Cyperaceae Database. Costularia C.B.Clarke. Accessed at: https://www.cyperaceae.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=1675245 on 2025-03-31
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Nomenclature
basis of record
Plants of the World Online (POWO). , available online at https://powo.science.kew.org/ [details]
Present Inaccurate Introduced: alien Containing type locality
From editor or global species database
Description Perennial herbs, small to tall, tufted or more rarely shortly rhizomatous, caudex sometimes present. Culms scapose or with few nodes. Leaves usually both basal and caudal; basal leaves with poorly defined sheaths; cauline leaves enveloping up to ½ internode length; margins scabrid, spirodistichous, eligulate, blade sometimes deciduous. Inflorescence terminal, (contracted) paniculate with few to numerous spikelets; primary bracts ± leaf-like, sheathing. Spikelets with several distichous, deciduous glumes, of increasing length, the upper (1–)2 glumes each subtending a flower, enclosed by the wings of the next glume. Flowers, lower one (functionally) male (rarely bisexual or absent), upper one bisexual or functionally female (rarely functionally male). Perianth bristles 6, fimbriate to ciliate, mostly longer than the nutlet and deciduous with it. Stamens 3. Style trifid, style base often distinct (at anthesis), thickened, persistent, often scabrid. Nutlet ovoid or oblong, rounded trigonous, often 3-ribbed, ± stipitate, beaked, surface smooth or rugulose. [details]Distribution Southeastern Africa (Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe), Madagascar, the Mascarenes (La Réunion, Mauritius), and the Seychelles (Mahé). [details]
Identification 1 Plants <30 cm tall with flowering culm scarcely exceeding the basal leaves; cauline leaves absent ..........2
1 Plants >30 cm tall with flowering culm exceeding the leaves; cauline leaves present ..........3
2 Spikelets with lower flower male, upper flower bisexual (endemic to Andringitra Mountains, Madagascar) ..........1. Costularia andringitrensis
2 Spikelets with two bisexual flowers (endemic to La Réunion) ..........4. Costularia cadetii
3 Basal leaves conspicuously shorter than the flowering culm with leaf blades 7–15 cm long, apex rounded-obtuse ..........4
3 Basal leaves not conspicuously short compared to the flowering culm with leaf blades >15 cm, apex generally long tapering ..........5
4 Caudex 4-5 cm wide; basal leaves spirodistichous; leaf blades 7–12 mm wide; pedicels of the spikelets 5–20 mm long (endemic to SE Madagascar) ..........3. Costularia brevifolia
4 Caudex 1-2 cm wide; basal leaves distichously and flabellately inserted on the caudex; leaf blades five to eight mm wide, sickle-shaped; pedicels of the spikelets one to four mm long. (endemic to NE Madagascar) ..........5. Costularia humbertii
5 Spikelets up to 3.8–5 mm long ..........7. Costularia leucocarpa
5 Spikelets >5.5 mm long ..........6
6 Flowers 2, lower bisexual, upper male (or rarely only one flower) (Madagascar, Mascarenes) ..........7
6 Flowers 2, lower male, upper bisexual (Africa, Madagascar, Seychelles) ..........8
7 Pedicels of the spikelet erect; glumes reddish-black, with colourless-whitish margins; nutlet smooth (La Réunion, Mauritius) ..........8. Costularia melicoides
7 Pedicels of the spikelet generally curved; glumes entirely (dark) purple; nutlet rugulose- reticulate (Madagascar) ..........13. Costularia purpurea
8 Glumes 16–18 per spikelet ..........9. Costularia melleri
8 Glumes 5–14 per spikelet ..........9
9 Culm <1 mm wide; leaf blades ≤1.5 mm wide ..........12b. Costularia pantopoda var. gracilenscens
9 Culm ≥ 1.5 mm wide; leaf blades wider than 1.5 mm ..........10
10 Culms c. 6 mm wide ..........11
10 Culms 1.5–5 mm wide ..........12
11 Caudex not present; glumes 8–12 per spikelet, straw-coloured to purplish striate (endemic to SE Madagascar) ..........10. Costularia microcarpa
11 Caudex strongly developed and long; glumes 12–14 per spikelet, purplish black (endemic to N Madagascar) ..........14. Costularia robusta
12 Vegetative culm 17–70 cm × 1.7–3.5 mm; cauline leaves 1–2 ..........13
12 Vegetative culm 50–150 cm × 2.5–5 mm; cauline leaves 2–5 ..........14
13 Peduncles longest 5.5–11 cm; empty glumes 6–11 ..........6. Costularia itremoensis
13 Peduncles longest four to five cm; empty glumes 3–6 ..........12a. Costularia pantopoda var. pantopoda
14 Leaf blades 70–125 cm × 7–10 mm (Seychelles) ..........15. Costularia xipholepis
14 Leaf blades 30–80 cm long × 2–8 mm (Madagascar) ..........15
15 Pedicels of the spikelets ≥5 mm long; glumes largest 4–5.5 mm long ..........13. Costularia purpurea
15 Pedicels of the spikelets one to six mm long; glumes largest 5.5–7 mm long ..........16
16 Peduncles long (longest up to c. 15 cm); spikelets oblong; glumes largest 6–7 mm long (SE Africa) ..........11. Costularia natalensis
16 Peduncles short (longest c. five to eight cm); spikelets lanceolate; glumes largest 5.5–6 mm long (endemic to Madagascar) ..........2. Costularia baronii [details]
Taxonomic remark Source in seed data: TPL1.1 Update namepublishedIn from Fl. Cap. 7: 274. 1898. to Fl. Cap. 7: 274 (1898), information provided by Alan E. on email Jun. 07 2021 More details could be found in [details]
To European Nucleotide Archive, ENA (Costularia)
To International Plant Names Index (IPNI)
To International Plant Names Index (IPNI) (from synonym Lophoschoenus Stapf)
To International Plant Names Index (IPNI) (from synonym Cyclocampe Benth. & Hook.f.)
To Plants of the World Online (from synonym Cyclocampe Benth. & Hook.f.)
To Plants of the World Online
To Plants of the World Online (from synonym Lophoschoenus Stapf)
To International Plant Names Index (IPNI)
To International Plant Names Index (IPNI) (from synonym Lophoschoenus Stapf)
To International Plant Names Index (IPNI) (from synonym Cyclocampe Benth. & Hook.f.)
To Plants of the World Online (from synonym Cyclocampe Benth. & Hook.f.)
To Plants of the World Online
To Plants of the World Online (from synonym Lophoschoenus Stapf)
