''Isolepis'' is a
genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
of flowering plants in the
sedge
The Cyperaceae () are a family of graminoid (grass-like), monocotyledonous flowering plants known as wikt:sedge, sedges. The family (biology), family is large; botanists have species description, described some 5,500 known species in about 90 ...
family, containing around 70 species.
''Isolepis'' is cosmopolitan, and often found in cool tropical and temperate climates in
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...
and
Australasia
Australasia is a subregion of Oceania, comprising Australia, New Zealand (overlapping with Polynesia), and sometimes including New Guinea and surrounding islands (overlapping with Melanesia). The term is used in a number of different context ...
.
''Isolepis'' was first described by prolific botanist
Robert Brown Robert Brown may refer to: Robert Brown (born 1965), British Director, Animator and author
Entertainers and artists
* Washboard Sam or Robert Brown (1910–1966), American musician and singer
* Robert W. Brown (1917–2009), American printmaker ...
in 1810.
In 1870, the botanist
Boeckeler disbanded the genus putting most of the names under a different genus, ''
Scirpus
''Scirpus'' is a genus of grass-like species in the sedge family Cyperaceae many with the common names club-rush, wood club-rush or bulrush. They mostly inhabit wetlands and damp locations.
Description
''Scirpus'' are rhizomatous perennial herbs ...
''. By the early 20th century ''Isolepis'' ceased to exist with other botanists following on from Boeckler's work.
It was not until the late 20th century that ''Isolepis'' was reinstated as a distinct genus due to
embryological
Embryology (from Greek ἔμβρυον, ''embryon'', "the unborn, embryo"; and -λογία, ''-logia'') is the branch of animal biology that studies the prenatal development of gametes (sex cells), fertilization, and development of embryos an ...
research.
See also
*
List of Isolepis species
List of ''Isolepis'' species — a cosmopolitan genus of flowering plants in the sedge family, Cyperaceae.
Species
The genus ''Isolepis'' contains around 70 recognised species, they include:
*''Isolepis alpina'' Hook.f.
*''Isolepis angelica'' ...
References
Cyperaceae genera
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus
{{Cyperaceae-stub