Ficinia indica (Lamarck, 1785) Pfeiffer, 1921

Tshiila, Aluwani A., Chimphango, Samson B. M., Viljoen, Jan-Adriaan & Muasya, A. Muthama, 2017, Two new species in the Ficinia indica complex (Cyperaceae, tribe Cypereae) from South Africa, Phytotaxa 295 (1), pp. 49-59 : 55

Key to the species of the Ficinia indica complex

1. Plants forming tufts of less than six culms, stoloniferous .................................................................................................... F. indica

- Plants forming tufts of more than six culms, with or without a distinct rhizome..............................................................................2

2. Rhizome well-developed; leaf sheath papery; glume margin serrate.............................................................................. F. argyropus

- Rhizome not developed; leaf sheath not papery; glume margin entire..............................................................................................3

3. Plants mat-forming, culm less than 250 mm tall, sandstone mountain tops above 800 m elevation.............. F. montana (Taxon A)

- Plants not mat-forming, culm typically more than 300 mm tall, below 800 m elevation..................................................................4

4. Leaf sheath rim sloping towards blade; sandy habitats in Western Cape .............................................................................. F. elatior

- Leaf sheath rim not sloping towards blade; clay habitats in Western and Northern Cape (Namaqualand) ....................................... 5

5a. Glumes hairy .......................................................................................................................................................................... F. laevis

- Glumes smooth.................................................................................................................................................. F. arnoldii (Taxon B)