Scleria is a genus of flowering plants in the sedge family, Cyperaceae. They are known commonly as nutrushes.[1] They are distributed throughout the tropics, and some species have ranges extending into temperate areas.[2] There are about 200 species.[2]
The genus name Scleria is Greek, meaning "hardness", in reference to the tough seeds.[3]
Plants of this genus are diverse in appearance. These are mostly perennial, but sometimes annual. Some have rhizomes. They produce solitary stems or clumps of many. They are a few centimeters tall to well over one meter. They have few leaves or many. The inflorescence is variable, ranging from a single spikelet to over 100.[4] Despite the variety, examination of the fruits and subterranean structures is required to distinguish species.[2]