Schoenus pictus is a species of sedge endemic to the Western Cape Province of South Africa.

Key diagnostic characters of S. pictus are its relatively firm and thick bracts that surrounding the flower clusters (spikes).

[1] The prominent bracts surrounding the spikes combined with the sticky (viscous) leaf bases distinguish S. pictus from other Southern African Schoenus species.

[1] Southern African Schoenus were once classified as Tetraria; however, based on molecular and morphological differences, we now know that the two groups are evolutionary distinct.

Most reports of this species are from high mountain slopes surrounded by fynbos vegetation, often from damp sites.