World checklist of Cyperaceae: Sedges.

The sedge family, Cyperaceae, is the third largest family of monocotyledonous plants. They are of significant economic importance, especially among rural communities in the tropics, where sedges are intensively used. The World Checklist of Cyperaceae is a unique resource that lists all validly published names of sedges, providing the source of their publication and indication of which names are currently accepted and which are synonyms. It will be a standard nomenclatural reference for further research into this important family.

Rafael Govaerts has worked at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew since 1994. He generates synonymised taxonomic lists for selected families and has recently all Monocot families. This publication will be the eighth in the World Checklist series of which he is co-author. He is convener for TDWG and has interests in plant conservation.David Simpson has worked at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew since 1985 and is currently Assistant Keeper for Monocotyledons in the Herbarium. He is a leading specialist in Cyperaceae and has studied them in their natural habitats worldwide. As well as research on the systematics of the family his work focuses on the biogeography, conservation and sustainable utilisation of Cyperaceae, especially in Africa and Southeast Asia.