1	"Female flowers apparently terminal, always only 1 per spikelet or inflorescence unit; outer 2 hypogynous scales folded, transverse, and keeled, ciliate or spinulose on the keel, unfused or sometimes connate on the adaxial side"	2
1	"Female flowers lateral and axillary, one to many in a spikelet; hypogynous scales absent or not as above if present"	3
2	"Inflorescence fan-shaped; nut not ribbed"	"Chrysitrix: Chrysitrix distigmatosa"
2	"Inflorescence globose, hemispherical, or ovoid; nut ribbed longitudinally"	Chorizandra
3	"Flowers usually hermaphrodite, or with extra male flowers"	4
3	"Flowers unisexual"	44
4	"Spikelets several- to many-flowered, only 1 to 2 lowest glumes empty"	5
4	"Spikelets with 1 to 2 flowers producing nuts, usually several to many empty glumes at the base of the spikelets"	18
5	"Stems noded and leafy (also occasionally noded in Schoenoplectus/Schoenoplectiella and aquatic Isolepis species, but then not large perennials, and bristles absent); hypogynous bristles or scales present (except in Fuirena nudiflora)"	6
5	"Stems not noded; hypogynous bristles or scales present or absent"	7
6	"Three hypogynous scales inflated and more or less petal-like; (0 to) 3 hair-like bristles also present; glumes with an awn about two-thirds as long as, to equalling, glume length"	Fuirena
6	"All hypogynous bristles hair-like; glumes with a mucro no more than one-eighth glume length"	Bolboschoenus
7	"Style base enlarged and persistent on nut"	8
7	"Style base more or less enlarged but not persistent on nut"	9
8	"Inflorescence not subtended by leafy bracts; leaves reduced to sheaths, glabrous; hypogynous bristles usually present"	Eleocharis
8	"Inflorescence subtended by leafy bracts; leaves with well developed blades, hairy near mouth of sheath; hypogynous bristles always absent"	Bulbostylis
9	"Hypogynous bristles present (includes Schoenoplectiella)"	Schoenoplectus
9	"Hypogynous bristles absent"	10
10	"Style base enlarged but not persistent"	11
10	"Style base not enlarged"	13
11	"Leaves rarely all reduced to the sheath, usually some with a
definite blade. Spikelets producing several-many nuts; axis persistent (includes Abildgaardia schoenoides)"	Fimbristylis
11	"Leaves all reduced to the sheath or with a very reduced blade. Spikelets producing 1 nut; axis shed with spikelets or rarely persistent"	12
12	"Stigmatic branches thick, prominently white-hairy"	"Arthrostylis: Arthrostylis aphylla"
12	"Stigmatic branches slender, not prominently hairy"	Actinoschoenus
13	"Style 2-branched"	14
13	"Style 3-branched"	16
14	"Glumes distichously arranged in spikelet"	Cyperus
14	"Glumes spirally arranged in spikelet"	15
15	"Spikelets not more than 5 mm long; inflorescence bract rarely more than twice as long as inflorescence"	Isolepis
15	"Spikelets at least 7 mm long; inflorescence bract at least 4 times as long as inflorescence (includes Schoenoplectiella)"	Schoenoplectus
16	"Glumes distichously arranged in spikelet (spiral in C. hamulosus but then plant has curry smell)"	Cyperus
16	"Glumes spirally arranged in spikelet"	17
17	"Nuts transversely rugose and/or stout perennials (includes Schoenoplectiella)"	Schoenoplectus
17	"Nuts variously marked but never rugose; slender annuals or occasionally perennials (includes Ficinia nodosa)"	Isolepis
18	"Nut clasped by enlarged, corky upper end of rachilla"	Cyperus
18	"Nut not clasped by enlarged, corky upper end of rachilla"	19
19	"Nut more or less enclosed in (1 to) 2 hyaline scales"	"Lipocarpha: Lipocarpha microcephala"
19	"Nut not enclosed in hyaline scales"	20
20	"Two to 6 hypogynous bristles or scales present"	21
20	"Hypogynous bristles or scales absent"	29
21	"Style simple or 2-branched"	22
21	"Style 3- to 8-branched"	23
22	"Style base differentiated, enlarged, and persistent; leaves without a ligule"	Rhynchospora
22	"Style base not differentiated or enlarged or persistent; leaves with a ligule"	Cyathochaeta
23	"Upper internodes of rachilla prominently zig-zag"	Schoenus
23	"Upper internodes straight"	24
24	"Style base persistent, often enlarged in fruit"	25
24	"Style base deciduous"	27
25	"Inflorescence a head"	"Gymnoschoenus: Gymnoschoenus anceps"
25	"Inflorescence panicle-like, umbel-like, or spike-like"	26
26	"Robust perennial with inflorescence c. 40 cm long"	Gahnia
26	"Slender perennials with inflorescences 1-30 cm long"	Tetraria
27	"Glumes spirally arranged in the spikelet"	Lepidosperma
27	"Glumes distichously arranged in the spikelet"	28
28	"Leaves with a membranous or chartaceous ligule; nut with a hypogynous disk (except in 1 sp.)"	Mesomelaena
28	"Leaves without a ligule; nut without a hypogynous disk"	Tricostularia
29	"Style simple or 2-branched"	30
29	"Style 3 to 8-branched"	32
30	"Style base enlarged, persistent; ligule absent"	Rhynchospora
30	"Style base not enlarged or persistent"	31
31	"Hyaline scales (0 to) 2 enclosing nut; glumes flat with 0 to 2 nerves on each side of midvein"	"Lipocarpha: Lipocarpha microcephala"
31	"Hyaline scales absent; glumes keeled, with 3 to 5 nerves on each side of mid-vein"	Cyperus
32	"Upper internodes of rachilla zig-zag"	Schoenus
32	"Upper internodes of rachilla straight"	33
33	"Inflorescence enclosed by large spathe-like bracts, borne on long bare stem 1-2 m high"	"Reedia: Reedia spathacea"
33	"Inflorescence not as above"	34
34	"Nut borne on disk; disk often persistent on rachilla after the nut falls"	35
34	"Nut not borne on a disk"	36
35	"Tall perennials 1.25-2.5 m high with leafy stems; inflorescence compound, 20-30 cm long"	"Cladium: Cladium procerum"
35	"Small perennials 15-90 cm high with leafless stems; inflorescence a single cluster of spikelets, 1-3 cm long"	Mesomelaena
36	"Stamens 12 to 22"	Evandra
36	"Stamens 2 to 8"	37
37	"Inflorescence of 1 to 3 clustered heads with numerous spikelets"	38
37	"Inflorescence panicle-like, spike-like, or occasionally reduced to a few clustered spikelets"	39
38	"Leaves reduced to sheaths; stems scabrous above"	"Arthrostylis: Arthrostylis aphylla"
38	"Leaves with well developed blades; stems smooth"	"Lipocarpha: Lipocarpha microcephala"
39	"Leaves reduced to blades no more than 1 cm long"	40
39	"Leaves with well developed blades to 1 m long"	42
40	"Persistent style base not separated from body of nut by a constriction"	Baumea
40	"Persistent style base separated from body of nut by a constriction"	41
41	"Leaves with a ligule"	"Tetraria capillaris"
41	"Leaves without a ligule"	Caustis
42	"Leaves 2-ranked"	Baumea
42	"Leaves 3-ranked"	43
43	"Leaves with a ligule"	Gahnia
43	"Leaves without a ligule"	Tetraria
44	"Female flowers enclosed in a sac-like utricle; nut without hypogynous disk"	Carex
44	"Female flowers not enclosed in a utricle; nut borne on a hypogynous disk"	Scleria