Carex herbacoeli Jim.Mejías & Roalson, 2017

Jiménez-Mejías, Pedro & Roalson, Eric H., 2017, Two new Asian species of Carex (Cyperaceae), Phytotaxa 298 (3), pp. 283-288 : 285-287

Carex herbacoeli Jim.Mejías & Roalson , sp. nov.

Diagnosis:—This distinctive species superficially resembles the co-occurring C. nakaoana Koyama (1954:112) , and also C. fuliginosa Schkuhr (1801:91) , which is absent from the Himalayas. From C. nakaoana it differs by having 2 stigmas instead of 3, by having the terminal spike gynecandrous rather than all male as in C. nakaoana , and because the utricles are progressively attenuated into a linear beak instead a deltoid one as in C. nakaoana ( Dai et al. 2010) . From C. fuliginosa it differs by having 2 stigmas instead of 3, and the rhizomes long instead cespitose, ( Chater 1980; Egorova 1999; Ball et al. 2002).

Type:— NEPAL. Bagmati zone, Rasuwa Distr., Paldol Base Camp (4300 m)—a Krharka (4050 m). 28° 13’ N 85° 12’ E. 3 Aug 1994. F. Miyamoto et al. 10160 (Holotype: A!; isotype: A!). Figs. 3–4 .

Perennial, with long rhizomes. Stems 19–25 cm long, 0.6 mm wide below the inflorescence, obscurely trigonous, almost cylindrical, sulcate, smooth. Leaves basal and cauline, shorter than stems, the uppermost ones up to 7.5–15 cm long, the widest ones 2.6–4.3 mm wide, flat or slightly incurved outwards, apparently hypostomatic, antrorsely scabrid on edges; ligule of cauline leaves 2–12 mm, pale orangey to yellowish or whitish, acute; basal sheaths creamy, sometimes red-brownish tinged, bladeless, splitting in fibers. Inflorescence 4–10 cm, with 3–5 (often 4) spikes, the uppermost gynecandrous, the other female, loosely disposed at the top of the stems; lowermost bract shortly leafy to setaceous, shorter than the inflorescence 1.3–5.5 cm × 0.5–1 mm, flattish, with a sheath (0.5) 1–2 cm long; second lowermost bract setaceous, shorter than its spike, sheathless. Uppermost spike 17–25 × 6–7 mm, subclavate, with the male and female parts subequal in length, with a peduncle 2–8 mm long. Lateral spikes 12–33 × 3–5 mm, narrowly obovate, dense, the lowermost with a peduncle 2.2–3 cm long, flexuous or suberect, utricles ascending, 15–45. Glumes 3.5–4.5 × 1.2 mm, obovate to narrowly obovate, dark purplish with a greenish midrib, obtuse, scabrid at the tip on the margins and midrib. Stigmas 2. Utricles 4.5–5 × 1.2–1.5 mm, elliptical, flattish, with only the two lateral nerves prominent, sparsely hairy, yellowish, progressively becoming purplish on the abaxial side from the upper half or the upper third up to the beak, but keeping lateral nerves always yellowish, gradually attenuated into a beak 1.2–1.5 mm long, linear, flattish, scabrid, bidentate. No ripe achenes found, the inmature achenes studied conspicuously stipitate, with a stipe ca. 0.5 mm long.

Etymology:—From the Latin “ herba ”, herb or grass, and “ coelus ” (genitive coeli), sky or heaven, in reference to the extreme elevations this species has been found.

Observations:—This new species is unique among the Asian species grouped under section Aulocystis Dumortier (1827:147) by the combination of gynecandrous spikes, 2 stigmas, and utricles hairy, attenuated into a linear beak (see Noltie 1994; Egorova 1999; Dai et al. 2010).

Figures

FIGURE 3. Holotype of Carex herbacoeli Jim.-Mejías & Roalson.

FIGURE 4. Detailed picture of the holotype of Carex herbacoeli Jim.-Mejías & Roalson. A. Inflorescence. B-C. Glumes. D–E. Utricles. Scale bars represent 1 mm.