Lipocarpha

Lipocarpha is a genus of sedges known as halfchaff sedges. There are approximately 35 species and representatives can be found throughout the tropical and warmer temperate areas of Africa, Asia (China, India, Indonesia, etc.), Australia, North America, South America and various oceanic islands. These mostly are erect annual herbs (some perennials are known) growing 1 to 30 centimeters tall. The inflorescence consists of one to few spikes each containing many spirally arranged spikelets. The flower is entangled with two hyalin scales, a spikelet prophyll and a glume. These flower stands in the axil of a spikelet-bract.

Species include: Lipocarpha abietina – tropical Africa Lipocarpha albiceps – tropical Africa Lipocarpha aristulata – western and central United States Lipocarpha atra – tropical Africa Lipocarpha barteri – tropical Africa Lipocarpha chinensis – tropical Africa, Indian Subcontinent, China, Southeast Asia, New Guinea, Australia Lipocarpha comosa – central and eastern Africa Lipocarpha constricta – Ethiopia, Burundi Lipocarpha crassicuspis – Senegal Lipocarpha drummondii – eastern and southern United States Lipocarpha echinus – Zambia Lipocarpha filiformis – tropical Africa Lipocarpha gracilis – western and central Africa, Indian Subcontinent, Thailand, Myanmar; naturalized in Brazil Lipocarpha hemisphaerica tropical and southern Africa; India, Thailand Lipocarpha kernii – tropical Africa, India Lipocarpha leucaspis – central Africa Lipocarpha maculata – southeastern United States; Mexico, Central America, Cuba, Trinidad, South America Lipocarpha mangarevica – Tuamotu Lipocarpha mexicana – Mexico, Central America, northern South America, Madagascar Lipocarpha micrantha – United States, Canada, West Indies, Latin America, Madagascar, Senegal, Southern Africa Lipocarpha microcephala – China, Japan, Korea, Indochina, Indonesia, Philippines, New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Australia Lipocarpha monostachya – central Africa Lipocarpha nana – tropical and southern Africa; Madagascar Lipocarpha occidentalis – Oregon, Washington, California Lipocarpha perspicua – Angola Lipocarpha prieuriana – tropical Africa Lipocarpha pygmaea – Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar Lipocarpha raynaliana – India Lipocarpha reddyi – India Lipocarpha rehmannii – tropical and southern Africa; Madagascar Lipocarpha robinsonii – Angola, Zambia Lipocarpha salzmanniana – Veracruz, Central America, Cuba, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Brazil Lipocarpha schomburgkii – Venezuela, Guyana Lipocarpha squarrosa – Indian Subcontinent, Himalayas, Indochina; naturalized in Java and Florida Lipocarpha thermalis – Zaïre