Morphological characters of two Korean taxa of the genus Bulbostylis (Cyperaceae) were reexamined. The epidermal patterns of achene and leaf were investigated using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and a light microscope (LM). The scientific names were reviewed and a key based on these characters was provided. Morphological characters (length and width of stem, leaf, leaf sheath, spikelet, achene, scale and bract, and shape of cross-sectioned stem and achene, spikelet, apex of scale, and number of bract,) and epidermal patterns of achene and leaf (achene and leaf epidermal cell, cell wall, shape and the number of silica body of leaf, size and frequency of stomatal complex, and shape of subsidiary cell) were useful for identification of the taxa. The key was made based on these taxonomic characters and a distribution map wes constructed by the GIS technique using Maplnfo program. Bulbostylis densa was compared to Fimbristylis squarrosa, F. squarrosa var. esqiarrosa and F. aestivalis. There has been a dispute over their taxonomic position because of their morphological similarities. These three Fimbristylis species were similar regarding the stem length, shapes of cross-sectioned stem, spikelets, inflorescence, and presence/absence of prickles of leaf margin. However, B. densa differed from Fimbritylis in shapes of achene, cross-sectioned achene, epidermal fundamental cell of achene, and slight of cell wall. These Fimbristylis squarrosa. F. squarrosa var. esqiarrosa and F. aestivalis also were different in shape of the style and stigma on the achene. These results Koyama`s classification based on the separation of styles. Therefore, it is legitimate to treat Bulbostylis as an independent genus rather than as a subgenus of Fimbristylis.
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