Results from a recent taxonomic treatment of species of Scirpus sensu lato occurring in Virginia indicate that they are a heterogeneous group. 'Three segregate genera are recognized as occurring in Virginia: Scirpus sensu stricto, Trichophorum, and Schoenoplectus. The transfer of four species to Schoenloplectus is made. These combinations are made prior to a treatment of Virginia Scirpus sensu lato forthcoming in the journal Bartonia. A taxonomric study of Scirpus sensu lato (Strong, 1991) was recently completed for Virginia and is forthcoming in the journal Hartonia (Strong, in press). As a result of this study, four new combinations are needed in Schoenoplectus. This note states the taxonomic rationale and validates these new combinations so that they are available to other workers. When Scirpus was described (Linnaeus, 1753), it was heterogeneous. Since then, many of the original species have been referred to other genera in Cyperaceae, e.g., Eleocharis, Fimbristylis, Bulbostylis, Cyperus, and Scleria. The remaining species, and others described since Linnaeus, were treated by many workers as homogeneous. This particularly applies to those species having imbricate floral bracts, hypogynous bristles, and achenes with an undifferentiated style base. Embryological, anatomical, morphological, and cladistical evidence accumulated during the past 30 years indicates that many of the species still referred to Scirpus are heterogeneous (van der Veken, 1965; Schuyler, 1971a, b, 1972; Goetghebeur, 1986) and are better placed in segregate genera, with Scirpus sylvaticus L. designated as the type for Scirpus sensu stricto (Wilson, 1989). The conclusions of my studies, based on morphological analysis as well as a review of embryological, anatomical, and cladistical studies, confirm that Scirpus sensu lato is a heterogeneous group. Species occurring in Virginia comprise three segregate genera: Trichophorum, Scirpus sensu stricto, and Schoenoplectus. Goetghebeur & Simpson (1991), citing embryological and morphological evidence, argued that species of Scirpus sensu lato that are applied to the NOVON 3: 202-203. 1993. genus Bolboschoenus are significantly distinct from Schoenoplectus to warrant maintaining them in a separate genus. They argued that the one character that they recognize Schoenoplectus and Bolboschoenus as having in common (embryo morphology) cannot justify placing them together. My studies conclude that there are not only similarities between embryo shape, but between leaf anatomy, floral morphology, and inflorescence. The morphological characters that are usually emphasized as distinguishing Bolboschoenus and Schoenoplectus (well-developed cauline leaves and terminal inflorescence subtended by several involucral bracts of the former vs. usually undeveloped leaves and pseudolateral inflorescence bearing a single involucral bract of the latter) are not consistent within the two genera. Many species in Schoenoplectus, e.g., S. etuberculatuls, S. pungens, S. torreyi, and S. smithii, produce well-developed, elongate blades and typically bear more than a single involucral bract, although they are sometimes reduced. The lowest involucral bract in Bolboschoenus is typically erect both at anthesis and in reduced forms, appearing as a continuation of the culm. Only at maturity does the inflorescence spread out and appear terminal. The Asian species Schoenoplectus grossus, which Goetghebeur and Simpson have applied to Actinoscirpus, has an inflorescence that appears terminal subtended by several involucral bracts as in Bolboschoenus, but the floral morphology is that of Schoenoplectus. Furthermore, another Asian species, Bolboschoenus planiculmis, has a pseudolateral inflorescence, the lower involucral bract appearing as a continuation of the culm as in Schoenoplectus, but the floral morphology is that of Bolboschoenus. Therefore, because these two groups share a number of significant characters, I cannot justify the separation of these plants into distinct genera. Schoenoplectus purshianus (Fernald) M. T. Strong, comb. nov. Basionym: Scirpus purshianus Fernald, Rhodora 44: 479. 1942, nom. nov. for Scirpus debilis Pursh, Fl. Amer. Sept. 1: 55. 1813, non Scirpus debilis Lamarck, Tabl. Encycl. 1: 141. 1791. Scirpus erectus var. debilis Camus, Fl. Gen. Indo-Chine 7: This content downloaded from 157.55.39.35 on Wed, 31 Aug 2016 04:31:22 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms Strong New Combinations in Schoenoplectus 136. 1912. Schoenoplectus juncoides subsp. purshianus (Fernald) Sojak, Cas. Nar. Mus. Odd. Piir. 141: 62. 1972. TYPE: U.S.A. Pennsylvania: in wet meadows, Herbarium Muhlenberg s.n. (lectotype, as designated on sheet by Schuyler, PH not seen). Schoenoplectus fluviatilis (Torrey) M. T. Strong, comb. nov. Basionym: Scirpus maritimus L. f ? fiuviatilis Torrey, Ann. Lyceum Nat. Hist. New York 3: 324. 1826. Scirpus fluviatilis (Torrey) A. Gray, Manual Bot. N. United States: 527. 1848. Bolboschoenus fluviatilis (Torrey) Sojak, Cas. Nar. Mus. Odd. Pir. 141: 62. 1972. TYPE: U.S.A. Missouri: banks of the Missouri River, Baldwin s.n. (lectotype, selected here, NY). Schoenoplectus novae-angliae (Britton) M. T. Strong, comb. nov. Basionym: Scirpus novaeangliae Britton, Illus. Fl. 3: 509. 1898. Scirpus campestris var. novae-angliae (Britton) Fernald, Rhodora 8: 136. 1906. Scirpus robustus var. novae-angliae (Britton) Beetle, Amer. J. Bot. 29: 82. 1942. TYPE: U.S.A. Connecticut: Fairfield, in a freshwater marsh bordering creek, tidewater setting back to this point, Eames, 19 July 1896 (holotype, NY; isotypes, NY, US). Scirpus maritimus y cylindricus Torrey, Ann. Lyceum Nat. Hist. New York 3: 325. 1836. Syn. nov. Scirpus cylindricus (Torrey) Britton, Trans. New York Acad. Sci. 11: 79. 1892, nom. illeg., non Scirpus cylindricus (Vahl) Lamarck, Encyl. Method. Vol. 5 (suppl.): 101. 1817. Scirpus subterminalis var. cylindricus (Torrey) T. Koyama, Canad. J. Bot. 40: 930. 1962. TYPE: U.S.A. Georgia: Baldwin s.n. (holotype, PH; spikelet of type, NY). Schoenoplectus robustus (Pursh) M. T. Strong, comb. nov. Basionym: Scirpus robustus Pursh, Fl. Amer. Sept. 1: 56. 1816 (based on Scirpus maritimus f macrostachyos Michaux, Fl. Amer. 1: 32. 1803, non Scirpus macrostachyos Lamarck, Tabl. Encycl. 1: 142. 1791). Scirpus maritimus var. robustus (Pursh) Kukenthal, Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni. Veg. 23: 200. 1926. Bolboschoenus robustus (Pursh) Sojak, Cas. Nar. Mus. Odd. Piir. 141: 63. 203 1972. TYPE: U.S.A. Carolina: in salt marsh, Herbarium Michaux s.n. (lectotype, selected by Schuyler (Ewan, 1979), P not seen). Acknowledgments. My sincere appreciation is extended to Alfred E. Schuyler (PH) for sharing knowledge of Scirpus sensu lato and providing detailed information on the location of types. I thank Dan Nicolson (US) and Galen Smith for reviewing the manu cript, and the curators of FARM, GH, GMUF, NY, PH, VPI, and WILLI for either information regarding this study or the loan of spec-