Carex chlorocephalula

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 : 124-125

Note:— Carex chlorocephalula is a remarkable species with hispidulous culms, leaves and bracts. It is easily distinguished from the other species in sect. Radicales . (3) Carex cylindrostachys Franchet (1895: 32) . Type:— CHINA. Yunnan: near Da-pin-tze, Jul 1889, J. M. Delavay 1742 (holotype, P!; isotype, P!) ( Figure 4 : A–C).

Perennial herbs. Rhizomes elongate, ligneous, creeping or obliquely ascending. Culms loosely caepitose, 10–20 cm tall, 1.5–2 mm thick, stiff, trigonous, scabrous, with persistent sheaths at base. Leaves longer than culms, flat; blades 2–3 mm wide, stiff, slightly scabrous. Involucral bracts leaf-like, longer than inflorescence, long sheathed at base. Spikes 3–6, androgynous, cylindrical, 20–30 mm long, ca. 2.5 mm wide, densely flowered, lowermost one remote and with an erect and long peduncle, others approximate, with very short peduncle and usually enclosed; staminate part of spike longer than pistillate part. Staminate scales oblong-ovate to ovate, pale green, 4–4.5 mm long, acute or obtuse at apex. Pistillate scales ovate, 4–4.5 mm long, pale green, green 3-veined costa, acute at apex. Perigynia green, longer than pistillate scales, obovoid-oblong, compressed trigonous, 4.5–5 mm long, densely pubescent, 2-veined laterally and thinly veined, ciliate at margins, shortly stipitate at base, contracted into a short beak at apex; orifice 2-lobed with short teeth. Achenes obovoid to oblong-obovoid, compressed trigonous, 2–3 mm long, abruptly contracted into a short stipe at base, shortly beaked or nearly beakless at apex; style thickened at base, conic; stigmas 3.

Additional specimens examined:— CHINA. Sichuan: Daocheng, Riwa, Qinghai-Tibet Florist. Exped. s. n. (PE). Luding, K. C. Kuan & W. T. Wang 1751 (PE). Yanyuan, Meiyu, Z. X. Tang 52 (PE) . Yunnan: Lijiang, C. W. Wang 71367 (PE). Ninglang, Zhanhe, anonymous 108 (PE) ; Paomaping, anonymous 2740 (PE). Weixi, Judian, Qinghai-Tibet Exped. 849 (PE).

Note: — Carex cylindrostachys has an inflorescence with 3–6 spikes. The lowest spike is remote, while the others are aggregated. It is easily distinguished from the other species in sect. Radicales .

Figures

FIGURE 4. A–C: Carex cylindriostachys Franch. (A) habit; (B) pistillate scale; (C) perigynium. D–H: Carex speciosa Kunth. (D) habit; (E) staminate scales; (F) pistillate scale; (G) perigynium; (H) achene. I, J: Carex speciosa var. courtallensis (Nees ex Boott) Kük. (I) upper part of inflorescence; (J) perigynium. (A–C drawn from Qinghai-Tibet Exped. 849 in PE, D–H from N. Wallich 3394 in K, I, J from T. T. Yu 18018 in KUN; drawn by Xiao-Feng Jin).