Ficinia stirtonii Muasya, 2022

Muasya, A. Muthama & Stirton, Charles H., 2022, Three new species in the genus Ficinia (Cyperaceae, tribe Cypereae) from the Greater Cape Floristic Region of South Africa, Phytotaxa 550 (3), pp. 287-294 : 290

Ficinia stirtonii Muasya , sp. nov. ( Fig. 3 , 4 )

Diagnosis:— Ficinia stirtonii is morphologically most similar to F. argyropus Nees (1836: 177) , especially based on a common gross morphology (rhizomatous, bulbous culm base, papery white leaf sheaths) and partial overlapping of their distribution ranges. Ficinia stirtonii differs in its shortly spicate inflorescence (vs. capitate), shape of involucral bracts auriculate (vs. linear) and glume margins entire (vs. fimbriate).

Type:— SOUTH AFRICA. Eastern Cape Province. Willowmore: Baviaanskloof , Nuwekloof Pass , 33°30.071’S 023°38.000’E, 20 December 2009, A.M. Muasya & C.H. Stirton 5265 (holotype BOL!, isotype NBG! PRE!) .

Perennial, culm base bulbous, surculose, rhizome to 3.8 mm diameter, spacing between consecutive tillers/shoots up to 70 mm apart. Culms 120–350 mm tall, 0.6–1.4 mm thick, ca. 3.8 mm thick across the rim/edge of the leaf sheath, glabrous. Leaf sheath 23–78 mm long, glabrous, papery, white, ligule ca. 5 mm long. Leaf blade 31–134× 0.4–0.8 mm, canaliculate, glabrous, margin minutely scabrid. Involucral bracts 3–5, leaf-like and lowermost partially sheathing spikelets, 11–53 mm long, auricular and papery. Inflorescence a contracted spike, rachis up to 3 mm long, each spike comprises between over 4–25 spikelets. Spikelets 3.4–5.7× 1.4–3.4 mm, terete, dark brown, florets bisexual. Glumes 2.0– 3.2 mm long, ovate with a mucro up to 0.3 mm long; margins entire and membranous. Stamens 3; anthers 1.4–2.4 mm long, crested. Style trifid, 2.3–3.5 mm long. Nutlets 1.4–1.7×1.0– 1.1 mm, dark brown, papillose; hypogynous disc up to 0.2 mm long, cupular, 6–9-lobed.

Distribution and ecology: —Known from deep sandy soils in arid fynbos vegetation in Eastern and Western Cape, occurring at altitudes of 800–1300 m. ( Fig.2 ).

Etymology: — The epithet stirtonii honours the botanist Charles Howard Stirton (C.H.Stirt.; https://ipni.org/ a/12280-1), who has made life-long contributions to African botany and mentored many upcoming researchers.

Conservation status: —This species is widespread, though under collected, and occurs in areas that are not under disruptive land use practices. Therefore, we consider it to be of Least Concern (LC) based on the IUCN (2022) criteria.

Additional specimens studied: — SOUTH AFRICA. Western Cape Province. Wuppertal: Kagga Kamma Game Reserve (3219DA), 24 September 1991, C. Reid 1474 ( GENT, NBG, PRE) ; Ceres Karoo, along road to Kagga Kamma (3219DC), 30 September 2009, A.M. Muasya, I. Jardine & C.H. Stirton 4583 ( BOL) . Worcester: along R46 between Ceres and N1 (3319BD), 24 September 2014, A.M. Muasya & C.H. Stirton 7170 ( BOL) . Montagu: Touws River, Farm Pienaarskloof (3320AA), A.M. Muasya in Harry Bolus Commemorative Trip 154 ( BOL) . Oudtshoorn: Swartberg Nature Reserve, along road to Gamkaskloof (3322AC), 4 November 2017, A.M. Muasya 7601 ( BOL) . Eastern Cape Province. Willowmore: Baviaanskloof, Nuwekloof Pass to Hartebeesriver (3323AD), 20 December 2009, A.M. Muasya & C.H. Stirton 5270 ( BOL) ; Baviaanskloof, Uitspan farm (3323DA), 19 December 2009, A.M. Muasya & C.H. Stirton 5240 ( BOL) .

Figures

FIGURE 2. Distribution of the three species mapped at the centroid of each quarter degree square. Symbols used for F. bolusiana (circle), F. stirtonii (triangle), F. swartruggensis (square).

FIGURE 3. Ficinia stirtonii. A. Habit. B. Leaf blade and sheath. C. Inflorescence. D. Glume. Artist: Kay-Leigh Kilian, based on A.M. Muasya & C.H. Stirton 5240 (BOL).

FIGURE 4. Ficinia stirtonii photographs.A, B. Habit. C. Rhizome. D. Inflorescence. Photographs by C.H. Stirton at Nuwekloof Pass.