Booth et al.. Four new Cyperus 
Results and discussion 
The ordination plot of the data matrix resulted 
in discrete groupings of OTUs representing 
all of the taxa included (Fig. 1). Eleven of the 
22 character states correlated with ordination 
vectors >0.7 (Table 2) indicating that half of 
the characters included contributed strongly 
to the ordination pattern. All the groups 
recognised in the ordination were discrete, 
37 
but two groups of OTUs were relatively 
loosely clustered (e.g. Cyperus alaticaulis and 
C. multispiceus) as a result of missing values. 
Cluster analysis of the data matrix (Fig. 
2) mirrors and confirms the results of the 
ordination (Fig. 1). 
These five groups are recognised as five 
discrete species in the following taxonomic 
account. 
►3 
2 
1.5- 
X 
n m 
“ X x 1 
0.5 
♦ C. alaticaulis 
m C. eboracensis 
a C. sharpei 
* C. multispiceus 
>j. C. peduncuiosus 
■1.5 -1 -0.5 
1 
1.5 
-1 - 
-1 5 J 
Fig. 1. Ordination plot of the data matrix 
Character states unweighted; Gower association measure; semi-strong-hybrid multidimensional scaling in 2- 
dimensions with 200 random starts. Stress value = 0.0837. 
Taxonomy 
Key to the Cyperus peduncuiosus species group 
1 Inflorescence simple.2 
1. Inflorescence compound.3 
2 Culms winged; proximal involucral bract 3-4.3 mm wide.2. C. alaticaulis 
2. Culms not winged; proximal involucral bract 1.5-2.8 mm wide.3. C. eboracensis 
3 Culms mostly trigonous; closely arranged on a stout rhizome, occurs in 
skeletal soils in eucalypt woodland.5. C. sharpei 
3. Culms mostly triquetrous; tufted, occurs in and adjacent to closed and 
riparian forests.4 
4 Inflorescence of 4-12 spikes.1. C. peduncuiosus 
4. Inflorescence of 20-80 spikes.4. C. multispiceus 
