A recent molecular phylogeny suggests that Rhynchosporae are a separate but closely related clade to the Schoenae. Molecular studies within the Rhynchosporae, however, reveal that Kükenthal's widely accepted classification holds less well – neither Haplostylae nor Diplostylae are monophyletic, and there appear to be multiple conversions between bifid and non-bifid styles throughout the genus.
