Schoenus cuspidatus
Schoenus cuspidatus is a species of sedge endemic to the Cape region of South Africa where it is found in the provinces of Western Cape and Eastern Cape. Taxonomy Schoenus cuspidatus is a species in the genus Schoenus of the family Cyperaceae, tribe Schoeneae. Other notable genera in tribe Schoeneae include Lepidosperma, Oreobolus, Costularia, Tetraria and Gahnia. The most closely related species to S. cuspidatus are other southern African Schoenus species, specifically, species in the S. cuspidatus and allies group. Many Southern African Schoenus were once classified as Tetraria; however, based on a 2017 study of molecular and morphological characteristics, seventeen of the Tetraria were found to be more closely related Schoenus. To ensure that these genera of sedges are monophyletic (i.e. contain only species which are more closely related to each other than they are to species outside the group), these seventeen Tetraria were transferred into Schoenus. In the field, the southern African Schoenus can be distinguished from Tetraria species by their lack of stem leaves and the absence of reticulate sheaths at the bases of the flowering stems. Description Schoenus cuspidatus is a species with significant vegetative and reproductive variability compared to closely related southern African Schoenus species.