Carex malipoensis Yuan Y. Li & H. Peng, 2022

Li, Yuan-Yuan, Chen, Ya-Ping, Jiang, Li-Qiong, Liu, En-De, Luo, Yuan & Peng, Hua, 2022, Carex malipoensis (Cyperaceae), a new species from southeast Yunnan, China, PhytoKeys 188, pp. 19-29 : 19

Carex malipoensis Yuan Y. Li & H. Peng sp. nov.

Figures 1 , 2

Type.

China. Yunnan Province, Malipo County, Mengdong Village, Xiangchunping , 22°54'36.77"N, 104°38'54.09"E, alt. 1850 m, 5 December 2016, E.D. Liu et al. LiuED6425 (holotype: KUN! Barcode 1433368; isotype: KUN! Barcode 1347669) .

Diagnosis.

The new species is most similar to C. trichophylla Nelmes (1955), but differs in inflorescences 20-45 cm long (vs. shorter than 15 cm in C. trichophylla ), peduncles up to 9 cm long (vs. more or less exserted in C. trichophylla ), spikes pendulous (vs. erect in C. trichophylla ), female glumes hispidulous (vs. glabrous in C. trichophylla ), utricles densely hispidulous (vs. glabrous below, adpressed-hispid above in C. trichophylla ), and nutlets 4-4.5 mm long (vs. 2.25-2.5 mm long in C. trichophylla ).

Description.

Rhizomes elongate. Culms tufted, 70-105 cm long, 2-4 mm in diam, obtusely trigonous, hispidulous, basal sheaths dark brown. Leaves 3-5, basal and cauline, loosely arranged; leaf blade elliptic, 12-28 × 2-3 cm, transverse veins prominent, margin hispidulous-villous, base round to cuneate, apex acute, greyish green when dried; sheaths 1.5-7 cm long, hispidulous, mouth hairy, not developed into prominent appendage. Involucral bracts leaf-like, longer than inflorescence, sheathing; panicles 20-45 × 3-5 cm, with 12-16 branches, single or binate; peduncles up to 9 cm long, reduced toward apex, tenuous, glabrous or slightly pubescent; inflorescence axes sharply trigonous, hairy on edges; bractlets glumiform, ca. 5 mm long, apex awned, awns 4-5 mm long; cladoprophylls utriculiform, 3-4 mm long; spikes bisexual, androgynous, 15-30 (-45) mm long; male part of spike much longer than female part; male part densely many flowered, ca. 2.5 mm wide; female part fewer flowered, 3-4.5 mm wide; male glumes oblong-lanceolate, 6-9 × 1.5-2 (-3.2) mm, awned; female glumes oblong-lanceolate, 3.8-4.2 mm long, pale brown, green at middle, apex acute, midrib extending into a scabrid awn. Utricles ovate-elliptic, 6-7.5 mm long, green to brown, veined, densely hispidulous, apex attenuating into a long beak, ca. 3 mm long, orifice oblique. Nutlets ca. 4 × 1.8-2 mm, dark brown, obovate-elliptic, trigonous. Stigmas 3.

Phenology.

Flowering from November to December, and fruiting in May.

Distribution.

The new species is currently known from Malipo County in southeast Yunnan at the Sino-Vietnamese border (Fig. 3 ).

Habitat.

The new species usually grows in evergreen broad-leaved forests at altitudes of 1100-1850 m.

Etymology.

The specific epithet refers to Malipo County of Yunnan Province, China, from where the type specimens were collected.

Common name (assigned here).

Ma Li Po Tai Cao (麻栗坡薹草; Chinese name).

Additional specimens examined (paratypes).

China. Yunnan: Maguan County, Ching-kou Loa-chün-shan, 7 December 1947, K.M. Feng 13677 (KUN0368409; KUN1263725); Malipo County, Mengdong Village, 4 December 2016, E.D. Liu et al. LiuED 6336 (KUN1433717), LiuED6403 (KUN1433131); Malipo County, Laojunshan, Bailingyan, 13 May 2017, E.D. Liu et al. LiuED5912 (KUN1340680); Malipo County, Tianbao Town, Bajiaoping Village, 1 December 2018, Y.P. Chen & L.Q. Jiang MLP01 (KUN).

Specimens examined of other species.

Carex atrivaginata : Vietnam. Chapa: Pételot, 3179 (P00277787, P00277788); E. Poilane, 27084 (MT00072452, MT00072458); C. euprepes : LAOS. Tawieng, Chiengkwang: 2 April, 1932, Kerr, 20927 (BM001172101, K000291207, K000291208, K000291210, NY04059693, P00282617); C. laosensis : Laos. Pak Munung, Wieng chan: 22 April, 1932, Kerr, 21202 (K000291209, K000291210, P00284722); C. poilanei : LAOS. Phong Saly: 6 September, 1941, E. Poilane, 25984 (MT00117677); E. Poilane, 32994 (MT00072475); C. tavoyensis : Myanmar. Padachaung, Tavoy. 3 April, 1921, P.T. Russell, 1935 (K000999214); C. trichophylla : Vietnam. Chapa (Fig. 3 ): 1 July, 1930, Pételot, 5325 (GH00027549, P00302178, P00302179, P00302180, US 00087306); C. zizaniifolia : China. Yunnan, Pingbian: 1934, H. T. Tsai 62809 (A00027543, IBSC0653006, KUN0368701, PE00030290).

Conservation status.

The new species is currently known from Maguan and Malipo Counties in Yunnan, China. Only six collections have been recorded since 1947. It may be classified as Endangered (EN) or Vulnerable (VU) according to the IUCN Red List criteria( IUCN 2012). However, collections of Carex are often deficient, and a solid suggestion is needed based on a comprehensive investigation about the new species. Therefore, we suggest to characterize the conservation status of C. malipoensis as Data Deficient (DD) at present.

Figures

Figure 1. Morphology of Carex malipoensis A habitat B plant C rhizome D inflorescence E spike F leaf blade G sheath H the transverse veins I leaf margin J male glumes K female glume L utricles M achene. Scale bars: 2 mm. Photographed by X. X. Zhu (A, D, E LiuED 6425, LiuED 5912 KUN), Y. P. Chen (B, C, F, I Y. P. Chen & L. Q. Jiang MLP 01 KUN), and Y. Y. Li (G, H, J-K Y. P. Chen & L. Q. Jiang MLP 01 KUN; L, M LiuED 6425 KUN).

Figure 2. Line drawing of Carex malipoensis A habit B male glume C female glume D utricles E achene F part of blade, show the transverse veins. Scale bars: 6 cm (A); 2 mm (B-E). Drawn by Yuan Luo from the type specimen.

Figure 3. Distribution map of Carex malipoensis (▲) and C. trichophylla (•).