Carex cavaleriensis H. Lév. & Vaniot, Repert., 2022

Jin, Shui-Hu, Lu, Yi-Fei, Chen, Wei-Jie & Jin, Xiao-Feng, 2022, Notes on Carex (Cyperaceae) from China (VII): new synonyms and imperfectly known species, Phytotaxa 531 (1), pp. 54-62 : 59-60

Carex cavaleriensis H. Lév. & Vaniot, Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 3: 349. 1907.

Type:— CHINA. Kouy-Tchéou [Guizhou], Pin-fa [ Pingfa ], 28 Apr. 1905, J. Cavalerie 2331 (holotype: P-00280849 !; isotype: P-00280850!).

Carex macrosandra ( Franchet, 1897: 169) V.I. Kreczetowicz (1946: 189) , was placed in sect. Clandestinae in Roalson et al. 2021. It has been recorded in some Chinese taxonomic literature as a poorly known species. Originally Franchet (1897) described this taxon as a variety of C. lanceolata Boott (in Gray, 1856: 326, placed in sect. Clandestinae in Roalson et al. 2021) ( Figure 7 : A) and designated three collections (Henry 1288, Henry 7846 and Henry 7860) as syntypes ( Figure 7 : B–F). Franchet noted that his new variety differed from the typical one, C. lanceolata , in having longer staminate spikes ( Figure 7 : B–E). Clarke (1904) transferred it as a variety of C. pediformis C.A. Meyer (1831: 219 , placed in sect. Clandestinae in Roalson et al. 2021). Later Kreczetowitcz (1946) raised it to species rank.

The syntypes of C. macrosandra have, in fact, relatively short staminate spikes and peduncles, which are consistent to those of C. lanceolata ( Figure 7 : F, G). Moreover, Kreczetowitcz (1946: 189) proposed the new combination, C. macrosandra , and erroneosly designated (1946: 190) A. Henry 7890 from Hubei as the type. Accordingly, the name still needs lectotypification, which we designate on Henry 1288.

Carex cavaleriensis H. Lév. & Vaniot (in Léveillé, 1907: 349), placed in sect. Clandestinae in Roalson et al. 2021), was treated as a synonym of C. macrosandra ( Zhao et al. 2011) ( Figure 7 : H–K). However, according to the examination of the type specimen, it differs from C. macrosandra in having staminate spikes longer, 5.5–7 cm long (vs. 0.5–2 cm long), staminate scales purple-black (vs. brown to red-brown), and lateral spikes 1.5–3 cm long (vs. 1–1.7 cm long) with 30+ flowers densely arranged (vs. with 5–13 flowers) ( Figure 7 : H, I). Thus, C. cavaleriensis is recognized as a distinct and independent species.

Figures

FIGURE 7. Types of Carex lanceolata, C. lanceolata var. macrosandra and C. cavaleriensis. (A): holotype of C. lanceolata in K, (B): lectotype of C. lanceolata var. macrosandra in K, (C, D): syntypes of C. lanceolata var. macrosandra in K, (E): Henry 7890, designated as holotype of C. lanceolata var. macrosandra by Kreczetowitcz in 1946, (F): staminate spike and a lateral spike of C. lanceolata, (G) staminate spike and a lateral spike of C. lanceolata var. macrosandra, (H) staminate spike of C. cavaleriensis, (I) a lateral spike of C. cavaleriensis, (J): holotype of C. cavaleriensis in P, (K): isotype of C. cavaleriensis in P.