Cyperus scaettae var. vanderystii (Cherm.) Reynders, 2014

Don, Bel Lar Ri, Ers, Enne Th Ba Ut & Reynde, Ma Rc, 2014, Taxonomic changes in C Cyperus (Cypereae, Cyperoideae, Cyperaceae): combining the sedge genera Ascolepis, Kyllinga and Pycreus into Cyperus s. l., Phytotaxa 166 (1), pp. 33-48 : 43

Cyperus scaettae var. vanderystii (Cherm.) Reynders , comb. nov.

Basionym: Pycreus vanderystii Cherm., Rev. Zool. Bot. Africaines 24: 296 (Chermezon 1933 publ. 1934) ≡ Cyperus fibrillosus var. vanderystii (Cherm.) Kük. (Kükenthal 1936: 348) .

Lectotype (designated here):— CONGO, Vanderyst 16469 (hololectotype BR!).

Description: —Chermezon (1934: 296).

Note: —Chermezon (1933 publ. 1934) already remarked that Pycreus vanderystii is closely related to P. scaettae when describing both taxa in the same publication. They have the same habit, spikelet and glume shapes, and their rachillas are straight. Pycreus vanderystii only differs in its overall larger dimensions of the plant and of the glumes, and its yellowish glume colour. Although most plants can easily be placed in one of both taxa based on the average size of the glumes, there is a slight overlap in the glume size range. Since it concerns sympatric taxa, recognising P. vanderystii at variety level seems most appropriate. As discussed under Cyperus scaettae , C. fibrillosus is clearly distinct because of its flexuous rachilla and different glumes. Therefore, P. vanderystii should not be included into the latter species as was done by Kükenthal (1936).

Cyperus scaettae var. scaettae (autonym automatically established here).

Notes on synonymy of an African ‘ Pycreus ’ species

Pycreus sanguineosquamatus has not yet been combined into Cyperus . However, in our opinion, this name represents a species that needs to be placed in synonymy of an older species, i.e. Cyperus fontinalis . Therefore, a new combination into Cyperus would be superfluous.