Florae Malesianae Precursores XXI. Notes on Malaysian and some S.E. Asian Cyperaceae VII

In 1940 Kukenthal (1940) published a detailed description of a remarkable cyperaceous plant discovered by Van Steenis on some mountains in Atjeh (N. Sumatra) in 1937. In the ample discussion following the description the new species was considered the last link (“das letzte Verbindungsglied”) between the genera Schoenoxiphium and Kobresia, a view also expressed in the binomial given to the plant, Schoenoxiphium kobresioideum. While studying the material two questions forced themselves on me; 1. If the Sumatran plant is a link between Schoenoxiphium and Kobresia, on what grounds did Kukenthal refer it to the former genus? 2. If several living links between Schoenoxiphium and Kobresia exist, what are the reasons which compel us to keep the two genera apart?