Schoenoplectus corymbosus (Roth ex Roem. & Schult.) J. Raynal

Perennial, to 150 cm. Rhizome short. Stem 5-10 mm diam., terete, finely grooved, smooth, green or grey green. Sheaths up to 13 cm, brown, disintegrating into fibres, mouth oblique, with widely scarious margins; blades reduced to mucro. Inflorescence a multiple spike or anthelodium, 45-150 mm diam., when bent to ground rooting from axils of bracts and lowest glumes; lowest bract 30-150 mm, terete, apex obtuse; primary branches 7-30, up to 100 mm, smooth or occasionally scabrous, each with group of 2-6 sessile spikes or with secondary multiple spike; tubular prophyll often keeled, scabrous; secondary branches to 40 mm, with 2-4 sessile spikes, or with more or less differentiated tertiary multiple spike; tertiary branches occasional, to 20 mm, with 1-3 spikes. Spikes 5-8 x 2-4 mm, ovoid; glumes 3-4 mm, cymbiform, mucro smooth, sides inconspicuously nerved, pale or reddish brown, smooth, margins not or narrowly scarious, not fringed. Perianth bristles reduced or weakly developed, unequal, to half of nut; stamens 3, anthers c. 2 mm; stigmas 3. Nut 1.9-2 x 1.2-1.3 mm, ellipsoid or obovoid, trigonous, plano-convex, edges obtuse, nearly smooth, dark brown, glossy.

Distribution: Most of Africa, from Egypt to S. Africa, Madagascar, Pakistan and W India from Sind to Mysore.

Fl. Per.: September - December.

In shallow water in pools and ditches.

Isolepis corymbosa Roth ex Roem. & Schult., Syst. Veg. 2:110. 1817. Scirpus corymbosus Heyne ex Roth (1821) non L. Schoenoplectus inclinatus (Del.) Lye in Bot. Notiser 124: 290. 1971. Isolepis inclinata Delile, Descr. Aegypte, Roem. & Schult.) J. Rayn. var. brachyceras (A. Rich.) Lye in Nord. J. Bot. 3: 242 (1983). Haines & Lye, Sedges and rushes E. Afr., Fig. 70 (1983, as var. brachyceras). J. Browning, S. Afr. J. Bot. 57: Figs. 3-4. 1991.

Robust perennial sedge, up to 1.5 m tall, often forming, partially submerged, dense stands. Stems round; leaves absent except for sheaths on the stems bases. Inflorescence sub-terminal, branched, reddish brown, borne at the base of an erect, sharply pointed bract, which does generally not overtop the inflorescence. A species used for weaving mats and baskets.