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Notes on Carex (Cyperaceae) from China (IX): three new species of section Mitratae s.l.
expand article infoYi-Fei Lu‡, Zhao-Cen Lu§, Yu-Hao Duan‡, Kun Zhang‡, Xiao-Feng Jin‡
‡ Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, China
§ Guangxi Institute of Botany, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guilin, China

Corresponding author: Xiao-Feng Jin ( docxfjin@163.com )

Academic editor: Pedro Jiménez-Mejías
© 2023 Yi-Fei Lu, Zhao-Cen Lu, Yu-Hao Duan, Kun Zhang, Xiao-Feng Jin.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation: Lu Y-F, Lu Z-C, Duan Y-H, Zhang K, Jin X-F (2023) Notes on Carex (Cyperaceae) from China (IX): three new species of section Mitratae s.l. PhytoKeys 225: 153-164. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.225.101410
Open Access

Abstract

Carex sect. Mitratae s.l. was established by Kükenthal in 1909 and can be distinguished from the closely related sections in having nutlets frequently discoid-annulate at the apex and a persistent style base. Based on field surveys and specimen examination, three new species of sect. Mitratae are described and illustrated here. Carex fatsuaniana was collected from Yunnan and differs from C. truncatigluma in having the utricles nearly glabrous, the nutlets with a ca. 0.5 mm long beak at the apex, the staminate spikes cylindrical, 5–7.5 cm long, 4–5 mm wide, and the pistillate glumes acuminate at the apex. Carex damingshanica was collected from Guangxi and differs from C. breviscapa and C. rhynchachaenium in having 3 or 4 spikes, the lateral spikes cylindrical, the pistillate glumes, utricles and nutlets all shorter than in the other two species. Carex radicalispicula was collected from Sichuan and differs from C. truncatirostris in having the staminate spikes clavate, 1.5–2 mm wide, the pistillate glumes pale yellow-white, 3–3.2 mm long, acuminate or short-awned at the apex, and the nutlets with 3 angles shallowly constricted at the middle.

Keywords

Carex sect. Mitratae, China, new species, sect. Lageniformes

Introduction

Carex L. (Cyperaceae), a morphological diverse genus with about 2,000 species, is one of the largest genera of angiosperms and is distributed on all continents except Antarctica (Reznicek 1990; Govaerts et al. 2021; Pender et al. 2021). The main characters of this genus that distinguish it from the other genera in the Cyperaceae are flowers unisexual, the female ones contained within a prophyllar structure called a perigynium, which is referred to as a utricle when its margins are fused and closed (Dai et al. 2010; Jiménez-Mejías et al. 2016). Following an increasing number of samples and molecular markers, the systematic framework of Carex has become more robust, six strongly supported distinct main lineages were detected, viz. the Siderostictae, Schoenoxiphium, Unispicate, Uncinia, Vignea and core Carex clades (Villaverde et al. 2020; Roalson et al. 2021). A large number of new species of the core Carex clade were described during, or soon after, the preparation of the “Flora of China” (Dai et al. 2010; Lu and Jin 2022; Lu et al. 2022).

Carex sect. Mitratae Kük. s.l. (Kükenthal 1909), containing 80+ species, was traditionally divided into three sections: Cryptostachyae Franch., Lageniformes (Ohwi) Nelmes and Mitratae s.s. These are mainly distributed from E and SE Asia to Australia and New Zealand, with a few species reaching Europe, as well as into western and northern Asia (Akiyama 1955; Dai et al. 2010; Roalson et al. 2021). Recent phylogenetic studies revealed the sect. Mitratae s.l. is a polyphyletic group, and five clades which were named as Sect. Cryptostachyae, Tristachya Clade, Truncatigluma Clade, Mitrata Clade and Conica Clade in the core Carex clade are recognized (Roalson et al. 2021).

The group, sect. Mitratae s.l., is easily recognized on some morphological characters such as nutlet shape and utricle shape, as well as growth habits. During the field surveys and specimen examination of Carex, and during preparation of a taxonomic monograph of sect. Mitratae s.l., three new species were discovered, which are described below.

Taxonomic treatment

Carex fatsuaniana X.F.Jin, Y.F.Lu & Z.C.Lu, sp. nov.

urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77318323-1
Fig. 1A–G

Diagnostic description

This new species is similar to Carex truncatigluma C.B.Clarke, but differs in having utricles nearly glabrous, nutlets with a ca. 0.5 mm long beak at apex, staminate spikes cylindrical, 5–7.5 cm long, 4–5 mm wide, and pistillate glumes acuminate at apex.

Figure 1. 

Carex fatsuaniana sp. nov. A habit B staminate glume C, D pistillate glume E utricle F nutlet. (Drawn by Xiao-Feng Jin; based on the holotype: C. W. Wang 88293 in PE).

Type

China. Yunnan: Foo-ning [Funing County], Ban-loun [Banlun Township], under dense-thickets, alt. 700 m, 10 Apr 1940, C. W. Wang 88293 (holotype: PE!; isotypes: IBK00181423!, PE!).

Description

Perennial herbs. Rhizomes woody, obliquely ascending. Culms lateral, 45–60 cm tall, trigonous, smooth, base with short leaves and brown fibrous sheaths. Leaves longer than culms, blades flat, leathery, 4.5–9 mm wide, scabrous on upper surfaces and margins. Bracts leaf-like or shortly leaf-like, base with 1–2.5 cm long sheath. Spikes 6; terminal spike staminate, cylindrical, 5–7.5 cm long, 4–5 mm wide, base with 8–20 mm long peduncles; lateral spikes pistillate, cylindrical, 2.5–4.5 cm long, 3–3.5 mm wide, densely flowered, with peduncles exserted from or enclosed in sheaths. Staminate glumes elliptic-lanceolate or oblanceolate, pale brown, 7–7.5 mm long, apex acuminate, with 3-veined yellow-brown costa. Pistillate glumes ovate-elliptic or obovate, pale yellow, 2.5–3 mm long, apex acuminate and mucronate, or acute, with 3-veined yellow-brown costa. Utricles yellow-green, narrowly ellipsoid-ovoid, obtusely trigonous, 4–4.5 mm long, longer than pistillate glumes, membranous, obliquely patent, distinctly thinly veined, nearly glabrous, base gradually cuneate, short-stipitate, apex gradually contracted into a ca. 1 mm long beak, orifice 2-lobed with short teeth. Nutlets tightly enveloped, brown, ovoid, trigonous, 2.5–3 mm long, with 3 sides slightly concave below, base short-stipitate, apex contracted into a ca. 0.5 mm long cylindrical beak; style base slightly thickened; stigmas 3.

Etymology

The specific epithet ‘fatsuaniana’ is in honour of Prof. Fa-Tsuan Wang (Fa-Zuan Wang, 1899–1985), the taxonomic founder of Chinese monocots.

Phenology

Flowering and fruiting occur in early April.

Conservation status

Data Deficient (DD). Only four sheets (C. W. Wang 88293) of the new species were collected by Chi-Wu Wang in 1940 from the type locality. Adequate information is lacking on its distribution and population status to make a direct or indirect assessment of the risk of extinction (IUCN 2019).

Notes

Carex fatsuaniana has nutlets contracted distally into a ca. 0.5 mm long cylindrical beak at the apex, which morphologically belongs to sect. Lageniformes and is similar to C. truncatigluma (Dai et al. 2010). In sect. Lageniformes, the species has terminal staminate spikes thinly linear-clavate, whereas those of the new species are cylindrical, 5–7.5 cm long, 4–5 mm wide. The characters distinguishing the new species from C. truncatigluma are shown in Table 1.

Table 1.
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Morphological characters distinguishing Carex fatsuaniana from C. truncatigluma.

Characters C. fatsuaniana C. truncatigluma
1. Staminate spike Cylindrical, 5–7.5 cm long, 4–5 mm wide Thinly linear-clavate, 1–2 cm long, 1–2 mm wide
2. Staminate glume Elliptic-lanceolate or oblanceolate, 7–7.5 mm long, acuminate at apex Oblong-ovate or ovate, 3–3.5 mm long, obtuse at apex
3. Pistillate glume Ovate-elliptic or obovate, acuminate and mucronate, or acute at apex Broadly obovate, obtuse, truncate or emarginate at apex, sometimes short-awned or mucronate.
4. Utricle Nearly glabrous Pubescent
5. Nutlet Beak ca. 0.5 mm long, cylindrical Beak 0.5–1.5 mm long, thick-cylindrical

Based on the phylogenetic scaffold for the Carex classification (Roalson et al. 2021), the sampled species in sect. Lageniformes were arranged in two clades: Carex breviscapa and C. longicolla in Tristachya clade, and Carex truncatigluma in Truncatigluma clade, but C. densipilosa was placed in the uncertain group. The new species, Carex fatsuaniana, is mostly closed to C. truncatigluma in morphology, so it’s temporarily placed in the Truncatigluma clade.

Carex damingshanica Z.C.Lu & X.F.Jin, sp. nov.

urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77318324-1
Figs 2A–G, 3A–H

Diagnostic description

This new species is similar to Carex breviscapa C.B.Clarke and C. rhynchachaenium C.B.Clarke in having spikes in a short racemose and culms much shorter than leaves, but differs from these two relatives in having spikes 3 or 4, lateral spikes cylindrical, shorter, 4–11 mm long, pistillate glumes (1–1.2 mm long), utricles (2.5–3 mm long) and nutlets (1.5–1.9 mm long) all shorter than in related species.

Figure 2. 

Carex damingshanica sp. nov. A habit B upper part of inflorescence C staminate glume D pistillate glume E utricle F nutlet. (Drawn by Xiao-Feng Jin; based on the holotype: P. Yang et al. 450125200526074LY in ZM).

Type

China. Guangxi: Nanning City, Shanglin County, Dafeng Town, Shuiyuan Village, Damingshan, 23°24'53.29"N, 108°31'45.16"E, under broad-leaved forest, alt. 423 m, 26 May 2020, P. Yang et al. 450125200526074LY (holotype: ZM!; isotypes: IBK00445399!, IBK00445400!, ZJFC!, ZM!).

Figure 3. 

Carex damingshanica sp. nov. A, B habit C nutlets D pistillate glume E inflorescence F pistillate spike G staminate spike H utricle. (C, D, F–H from type material).

Description

Perennial herbs. Rhizomes short, woody, stiff. Culms central, loosely turfed, 2.5–11 cm tall, trigonous, base with brown fibrous sheaths. Leaves much longer than culms, blades 1.5–3.5 mm wide, flat, leathery, scabrous on upper part and margins. Lowermost bract leaf-like, longer than inflorescence, base with 1–2 mm long sheath or sheathless, others setaceous, shorter than inflorescence, sheathless. Spikes 3 or 4, aggregated; terminal spike staminate, narrowly linear-cylindrical, 6–20 mm long, 1–1.5 mm wide, base with 1–3 mm long peduncles; lateral spikes pistillate, cylindrical, 4–13 mm long, 2.5–3 mm wide, loosely 9–14-flowered, with peduncles slightly exserted from sheaths. Staminate glumes broadly ovate, pale yellow-brown, ca. 1.5 mm long, apex obtuse, with 3-veined yellow costa. Pistillate glumes ovate, pale yellow, 1–1.2 mm long, apex acuminate, with 3-veined yellow costa. Utricles yellow-green, narrowly fusiform, obtusely trigonous, 2.5–3 mm long, longer than pistillate glumes, membranous, obliquely patent, distinctly thinly veined, sparsely pubescent, base gradually cuneate, short-stipitate, apex gradually contracted into a ca. 0.5 mm long beak, orifice 2-lobed with minute teeth. Nutlets tightly enveloped, brown, narrowly ovoid, trigonous, 1.5–1.9 mm long, with 3 sides slightly concave above and below, base with a ca. 0.2 mm long stipe, apex contracted into a 0.2–0.4 mm long cylindrical beak, truncate and shallowly concave at top; style base slightly thickened; stigmas 3.

Etymology

The specific epithet ‘damingshanica’ refers to the type locality of this new species.

Phenology

Flowering and fruiting occur from late March to late May.

Additional specimens examined

China. Guangxi: Nanning City, Shanglin County, Xiyan Town, Jianglu Village, Damingshan, from Zuitun to Sanbao, 23°30'50.83"N, 108°28'22.42"E, under broad-leaved forest, alt. 473 m, 31 May 2020, Y. L. Su et al. 450125200531038LY (IBK00445401!, IBK00445402!, ZJFC!, ZM!); Nanning City, Shanglin County, Dalan River, Damingshan, alt. 460 m, 16 Oct 2011, L. Wu & J. C. Yang D3254 (IBK00218552!); Nanning City, Shanglin County, Liangjiang Town, Chaoyang River, Damingshan, alt. 1030 m, 23 May 2011, L. Wu D2120 (IBK00218553!).

Conservation status

Least Concern (LC). The new species is known from four localities in Damingshan National Nature Reserve of Guangxi. These populations are in protected areas where they are not really threatened but need attention at ordinary times (IUCN 2019).

Notes

Carex damingshanica belongs to sect. Lageniformes in having terminal spikes staminate and nutlets apex contracted into a prominent long cylindrical beak (Dai et al. 2010). It is similar to C. breviscapa and C. rhynchachaenium, but differs from these two species in the characters of spikes, pistillate glumes, utricles and nutlets. The morphological differences of C. damingshanica, C. breviscapa and C. rhynchachaenium are shown in Table 2.

Table 2.
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Morphological characters distinguishing Carex damingshanica from C. breviscapa and C. rhynchachaenium.

Characters C. damingshanica C. breviscapa C. rhynchachaenium
1. Spikes 3 or 4, aggregated Many, 3–5 at each node 3–6
2. Lateral spikes Pistillate, cylindrical, 4–13 mm long Pistillate or mostly with male part at apex, narrowly cylindric, 3–4.5 cm long Pistillate, shortly cylindric, 1–2 cm long
3. Pistillate glume Ovate,1–1.2 mm long, apex acuminate Ovate-oblong, 2.5–3 mm long, apex rounded Oblong-elliptic, apex truncate-rounded, occasionally mucronate
4. Utricle Narrowly fusiform, obtusely trigonous, 2.5–3 mm long Rhombic-fusiform, trigonous, 3.5–5 mm long Lageniform with weak constriction at middle, 5–6.5 mm long
5. Nutlet Narrowly ovoid, 1.5–1.9 mm long Rhombic-ovoid, 2.5–3 mm long Rhombic-ovoid, ca. 4 mm long

As above-mentioned, Carex breviscapa was placed in Tristachya clade, therefore its closed species, C. damingshanica, is temporarily placed in the Tristachya clade.

Carex radicalispicula Tang & F.T.Wang ex Y.F.Lu & X.F.Jin, sp. nov.

urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77318325-1
Fig. 4A–G

Diagnostic description

This new species is similar to Carex truncatirostris S.W.Su et S.M.Xu, but differs in having staminate spikes clavate, 1.5–2 mm wide, pistillate glumes pale yellow-white, 3–3.2 mm long, acuminate or short-awned at apex, nutlets with 3 angles shallowly constricted at middle.

Figure 4. 

Carex radicalispicula sp. nov. A habit B lowermost spike C staminate glume D, E pistillate glume F utricle G nutlet. (Drawn by Xiao-Feng Jin; based on the holotype: K. L. Chü 6963 in PE).

Type

China. Sichuan: Kangding County, Erdaoqiao, on roadside, alt. 2650 m, 26 May 1940, K. L. Chü 6963 (holotype: PE!; isotypes: IBSC0654521!, PE!).

Description

Perennial herbs. Rhizomes short, woody. Culms central, loosely turfed, 8–30 cm tall, slender, trigonous, smooth, base with grey-brown sheaths. Leaves shorter than or rarely equal to culms, blades 1.5–2 mm wide, flat, leathery, scabrous on margins. Lowermost bract leaf-like, others setaceous, base with 4–6 mm long sheath. Spikes 3 or 4; terminal spike staminate, clavate, (5–)9–12 mm long, 1.5–2 mm wide; lateral spikes pistillate, with the lowermost arising from the base of culms, shortly cylindrical or cylindrical, 7–15 mm long, 3.5–4 mm wide, 4–12-flowered, with the lowermost peduncle slightly exserted from the sheath. Staminate glumes elliptic-lanceolate, yellow-brown, 4.5–5.5 mm long, apex obtuse, with 1-veined yellow costa. Pistillate glumes broadly ovate, pale yellow-white, 3–3.2 mm long, apex acuminate or with a ca. 0.5 mm long scabrous awn, with 3-veined green costa. Utricles yellow-green, rhombic-ovoid, obtusely trigonous, ca. 3.8 mm long, ca. 1.3 mm wide, longer than pistillate glumes, membranous, obliquely patent, distinctly thinly veined, sparsely pubescent, base gradually cuneate, short-stipitate, apex gradually contracted into a 0.8–1 mm long beak, orifice 2-lobed with short teeth. Nutlets tightly enveloped, pale yellow, rhombic-ovoid, trigonous, ca. 2.5 mm long, with 3 angles shallowly constricted at middle, lateral sides slightly concave above and below, base shortly curved-stipitate, apex abruptly contracted into a discoid-annulate style-base; style base thickened; stigmas 3.

Etymology

The specific epithet ‘radicalispicula’ refers to the lowermost spike arising from the base of culm.

Phenology

Flowering and fruiting occur in late May.

Conservation status

Least Concern (LC). The new species was collected by Kuei-Ling Chü (K. L. Chü 6963) from the type locality, including two sheets deposited in PE and one in IBSC. The authors carried out a field trip to the type locality in 2019, but failed to locate and collect any similar specimens. The type locality has been disturbed and the quality of the habitat appears to be continuously declining now (IUCN 2019).

Notes

With rhombic-ovoid nutlets abruptly contracted into a discoid-annulate style-base at the apex, 3 angles constricted at the middle, and the lowermost spike arising from a culm base, Carex radicalispicula is similar to C. truncatirostris. A taxonomic revision of C. chungii Z.P.Wang and the allied species has been conducted (Jin 2017), and these very closely related species can be distinguished from each another using the following key.

1a Lowermost spikes exserted from the basal sheaths of culms; lowermost bract sheaths < 6 mm long 2a
2a Terminal staminate spikes 1.5–2 mm wide; nutlets shallowly constricted at middle angles; pistillate glumes pale yellow-white, 3–3.2 mm long, acuminate or short-awned at apex Carex radicalispicula
2b Terminal staminate spikes 0.6–1 mm wide; nutlets constricted at middle angles; pistillate glumes pale brown or yellow-brown, 2–2.5 mm long, emarginate or obtuse at apex Carex truncatirostris
1b Lowermost spikes exserted from the middle sheaths of culms; lowermost bract sheaths > 1 cm long 3a
3a Terminal spikes 1–3 cm long; pistillate glumes long-awned at apex; staminate glumes short-awned or mucronate at apex Carex chungii
3b Terminal spikes 3.5–6 cm long; pistillate glumes mucronate at apex; staminate glumes acute at apex Carex nanpingensis

The new species is closed to Carex truncatirostris, and the species have nutlets apex abruptly contracted into a discoid-annulate style-base which were divided into two clades in the recent phylogenetic scaffold for the Carex classification (Roalson et al. 2021). The species in the Mitrata Clade have shorter lateral spikes and smaller plants, and the new species is temporarily placed in the Mitrata clade.

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 32070218, 31770212 to XFJ), the start-up project of Zhejiang A&F University (Grant No. 2022LFR011 to XFJ), the Guangxi Natural Science Foundation (Grant No. 2021JJB130408 to ZCL) and the Fundamental Research Fund of Guangxi Institute of Botany (Grant No. GZY 21007 to ZCL). We are grateful to Xian-Hua Xiong, Lei Wu, Jin-Cai Yang, Yu-Lan Su, Ping Yang and Xue-Kui Huang for their assistance during the field trips, to the curators and staff of the Herbaria IBK, IBSC, K, KUN, P and PE for their kind help during the authors’ visit, and to Mr. Philip E. Hyatt for improving the English.

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