Carex caudispicata F. T. Wang & Tang ex P. C. Li var. caudispicata

Jin, Xiao-Feng, Cen, Jia-Meng, Hahn, Marlene, Lu, Yi-Fei & He, Jin-Jing, 2015, Notes on Carex (Cyperaceae) from China (II): a taxonomic revision of sect. Radicales (Kük.) Nelmes, Phytotaxa 217 (2), pp. 117-132 : 122

(1a) Carex caudispicata F. T. Wang & Tang ex P. C. Li var. caudispicata ( Figure 2 : A–E)

Carex anningensis F. T. Wang & Tang ex P. C. Li (in Li 1999: 171). Type:— CHINA. Yunnan: Anning , 1 Nov 1940, T. N. Liou 017217 (holotype, PE!; isotype, PE!).

Perennial herbs. Rhizomes elongate. Culms loosely caespitose, 10–30 cm tall, 1–1.5 mm thick, trigonous, stiff. Leaves longer than or slightly shorter than culm; blades 2–5 mm wide, flat or revolute, stiff, scabrous on both surfaces, with dark brown and persistent sheaths at base. Involucral bracts leaf-like, nearly equaling to inflorescence or longer than inflorescence, sheathed. Spikes 1 or 2 (or 3), androgynous, cylindrical, 20–40 mm long, 4–5 mm wide, densely flowered; lateral spikes exerted from middle of culm, long peduncles exerted from sheaths; staminate part of spike shorter than or equal to pistillate part. Staminate scales ovate to oblong-ovate, 3–4 mm long, greenish white, acute at apex. Pistillate scales ovate to broadly ovate, 3.5–4.5 mm long, greenish white, acute at apex, green 1-veined costa. Perigynia obovoid or ovoid, compressed trigonous, 4.5–5.5 mm long, green, sparsely pubescent, then glabrescent, 2-veined laterally and thinly veined, attenuate at base, contracted into a short beak at apex; orifice 2-lobed with short teeth. Achenes obovoid, compressed trigonous, 3–3.5 mm long, dark brown at maturity, shortly stipitate at base; style thickened at base, conic, sparsely pubescent; stigmas 3.

Additional specimens examined:— CHINA. Yunnan: Jianchuan, Mount. Shizhong, B. Y. Qiu 61125 (KUN). Jingdong, Gaofeng, H. Peng & B. Bai 578 (KUN); Jinhu, S. G. Xu 5286 (KUN); Wenxiao, B. Y. Qiu 52768 (KUN), S. G. Xu 4823 (KUN). Kungming, Xishan, B. Y. Qiu 50194 (KUN, PE). Wenshan, H. T. Tsai 58-8163 (KUN).

Note: — Li (1999: 171) described Carex anningensis and indicated that this species differs from C. chlorocephalula in having a hispidulous habit, 1–3 mm wideleaves, verrucose achenes, and styles thickened and globose at the base. In Flora Reipublicae Popularis Sinicae (vol. 12) and Flora of China (vol. 23) ( Dai et al. 2000, 2010), it was considered to be similar to C. caudispicata , but different from the latter in having leaves ca. 1 mm wide, ellipsoid- or oblongshaped perigynia, and verrucose achenes. However, after a comparison of the types of both C. caudispicata and C. anningensis , the leaves of C. anningensis were measured at 2–3.5 mm wide (not ca. 1 mm wide), and the perigynia were obovoid (not ellipsoid or oblong), and the achenes were inconspicuously verrucose. For these reasons, we reduced C. anningensis to the synonymy of C. caudispicata .

Figures

FIGURE 2. A–E: Carex caudispicata F. T. Wang & Tang ex P. C. Li. (A) habit; (B) staminate scales; (C) pistillate scale; (D) perigynium; (E) achene.F: Carex caudispicata var. longiutriculata X. F. Jin. (F) perigynium. G–K: Carex pterocaulos Nelmes. (G) habit; (H) staminate scales; (I) pistillate scale; (J) perigynium; (K) achene. (A–E drawn from C. W. Wang 84318 in PE, F from C. W. Wang 82858 in KUN, G–K from P. T. Russell 1845 in K; drawn by Xiao-Feng Jin).