Scleria pauciflora Muhlenberg ex Willdenow var. pauciflora . Papillose Nutrush. Phen: Jun-Sep. Hab: Wet to dry pine flatwoods, pine savannas, depression meadows. Dist: NJ west to KS, south to FL and TX; Cuba.

ID notes: Both varieties of Scleria pauciflora grow from tough, knotty, horizontal rhizomes; the stems grow 2.5-6 dm tall. Inflorescences usually are tinged a cinnamon color, sometimes strongly so (vs. green or slightly cinnamon in S. ciliata and S. elliottii. The base of the achene has 6 tubercles (vs. 3 in the just-named species). From var. caroliniana, var. pauciflora is told by its glabrous or sparsely hairy stems, leaves, and bracts (vs. densely short hairy).

Origin/Endemic status: Native

Taxonomy Comments: Typification of S. pauciflora is controversial and unresolved at this time (Fairey & Whittemore 1999).

Synonymy: = Ar, FNA23, G, GrPl, Il, K1, K3, K4, Mi, NE, Tn, Va, Fairey (1967), LeBlond, Tessel, & Poindexter (2015); < Scleria ciliata Michx. – WH3; < Scleria pauciflora Muhl. ex Willd. – C, ETx1, GW1, Mo1, Pa, RAB, S, S13, Tat, Tx, W; > Scleria pauciflora Muhl. ex Willd. var. kansana Fernald – F; > Scleria pauciflora Muhl. ex Willd. var. pauciflora – F

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Wetland Indicator Status:

• Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FAC (taxonomic lump from wetland indicator species)
• Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FAC (taxonomic lump from wetland indicator species)
• Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FACU (taxonomic lump from wetland indicator species)
• Great Plains: FAC (taxonomic lump from wetland indicator species)
• Great Plains: FACW (taxonomic lump from wetland indicator species)
• Midwest: FAC (taxonomic lump from wetland indicator species)
• Midwest: FACU (taxonomic lump from wetland indicator species)
• Northcentral & Northeast: FACU (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)

Heliophily ?: 8