4. Key to the species in the Schoenus cuspidatus group (part I)

1a. Proximal primary inflorescence bract conspicuously expanded at base; longitudinal veins at base of bract often prominent: 2a. Culms usually thick (0.7–1.1 mm wide) and appearing semi-succulent; plants widespread throughout South Africa (usually found within 200 km of the S. and E. coasts): …………………………………………………………… 1. Schoenus auritus 2b. Culms thin (0.4–0.6 mm) and not appearing semi-succulent; plants restricted to granitic sites on the Cape Peninsula: …………………………………………………… 2. Schoenus graminifolius 1b. Proximal primary inflorescence bract not conspicuously expanded at base; longitudinal veins at base of bract not prominent: 3a. Spikelets linear-lanceolate (Fig. 1); nutlets narrow-ellipsoidal (Fig. 2C, D): 4a. Plants usually> 350 mm in height; spikelets 4.5–7.5 mm in length, often reduced sexually with only male or female organs present:……………………………………………… 3. Schoenus ligulatus 4b. Plants <340 mm in height; spikelets mostly <4 mm in length, bisexual spikelets always present:……………………… 4. Schoenus exilis 3b. Spikelets lanceolate or ovate (Fig. 1); nutlets broad-ellipsoidal (Fig. 2): 5a. Spikelets lanceolate:

6a. Glume margins with reddish-purple streaks adjacent to the hyaline margins (Fig. 3E, F): 7a: Older leaves usually curled; membranaceous sheaths with reddish-purple streaks:……………………………… 5. Schoenus bolusii 7b. Older leaves usually straight; sheaths firm (i.e. not membranaceous) and solid red to brown in colour: ……………………………………………..…… 6. Schoenus submarginalis

6b. Glume margins without reddish-purple streaks adjacent to the hyaline margins: 8a. Basal leaves reduced in length (usually a third to a quarter of culm length, never over half of culm length); glumes usually dark-reddish brown in colour; plants of mountainous regions of the Western and Eastern Cape Provinces:……….…….…….......……… 7. Schoenus crassiculmis 8b. Basal leaves well-developed in length (often over half of culm length); glumes medium brown to light reddish-brown in colour; plants endemic to the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal or Agulhas Plains region of South Africa): 9a. Spikelets <4.0 mm in length; glumes often thin and membranaceous (Fig. 4N); plants endemic to quartz patches on shale-derived soils in the Overberg region of the Western Cape Province of South Africa:…..…...……………………....….... 8. Schoenus quartziticus 9b. Spikelets usually>4.0 mm in length; glumes firm (Fig. 4O); plants endemic to grasslands and wetlands of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal Provinces of South Africa):……...…. 9. Schoenus limosus 5b. Spikelets ovate (Fig. 1): 10a. Sheaths loose; leaves appearing flat as they are usually not-channelled above ligule; plants endemic to mountainous regions of the southern Western Cape Province of South Africa: ……………………………………...….………... 10. Schoenus purpurascens 10b. Sheaths firm; leaves appearing terete as they are channelled above ligule; plants endemic to the Agulhas Plains region of South Africa: 11a. Spikelets with firm prophylls that often shine; prophyll mucros>3.0 mm; base of culms terete and with sheath not holding several leaf bases together:………………………………….…. 11. Schoenus prophyllus 11b. Spikelets with prophylls that are not firm and shining; prophyll mucros <2.4 mm long; base of culm flattened and with sheath holding several leaf bases together (Fig. 5):……………….. 12. Schoenus calceolus