Research Article |
Corresponding author: Hua Peng ( hpeng@mail.kib.ac.cn ) Academic editor: Pedro Jiménez-Mejías
© 2022 Yuan-Yuan Li, Ya-Ping Chen, Li-Qiong Jiang, En-De Liu, Yuan Luo, Hua Peng.
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:
Li Y-Y, Chen Y-P, Jiang L-Q, Liu E-D, Luo Y, Peng H (2022) Carex malipoensis (Cyperaceae), a new species from southeast Yunnan, China. PhytoKeys 188: 19-29. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.188.75401
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Carex malipoensis, a new species from southeast Yunnan, China, is here described and illustrated. It is morphologically similar to C. trichophylla in sect. Euprepes, but differs from it by its longer inflorescences and peduncles, pendulous spikes, hispidulous female glumes, densely hispidulous utricles, and longer nutlets.
Carex sect. Euprepes, Carex trichophylla, morphology, taxonomy
As one of the largest angiosperm genera, Carex
A total of 527 Carex were recorded in Flora of China (
During our field investigations between 2016 and 2018, we collected specimens of an unknown species of Carex in Malipo County, southeast Yunnan Province, China. After careful morphological studies, examination of herbarium specimens and relevant literature, we concluded that it can be assigned to Carex sect. Euprepes based on a combination of some morphological characters: cauline leaves well-developed; leaf blades and involucral bracts elliptic to linear-elliptic, with prominent transverse veins; complex branched inflorescence; spikes androgynous; and presence of utriculiform cladoprophylls (
The new species was compared morphologically with specimens of other taxa of Carex sect. Euprepes from the following public herbaria A, BM, E, GH, HNU, IBSC, K, KUN, HUH, MO, MT, NY, P, PE, and US [acronyms follow
A detailed morphological comparison of the potential new species and the seven species of C. sect. Euprepres is summarized in Table
Morphological comparisons between Carex malipoensis and species in C. sect. Euprepes.
Characters | C. malipoensis | C. atrivaginata | C. euprepes | C. laosensis | C. poilanei | C. tavoyensis | C. tricophylla | C. zizaniifolia |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Culm | ||||||||
Length | 70–105 cm | 65 cm | 70 cm | unknown | 70–105 cm | unknown | 45–65 cm | 60–70 cm |
Thick | 2–4 mm | 3 mm | 3 mm | 2 mm | 2–3 mm | 2–2.5 mm | 1–1.5 mm | 2 mm |
Transverse angle | obtuse | acute | obtuse | obtuse | acute | acute, obtuse to subacute | obtuse | obtuse |
Sides | ribbed | concave | concave | concave | concave | ribbed, slightly twisted | concave | concave |
Indumentum | hispidulous | glabrous | glabrous | glabrous | glabrous | glabrous | hispidulous upward | glabrous |
Leaf | ||||||||
Number | 3–5 | 7 | 4–6 | 1–4 | 6–8 | unknown | 6 or more | 8 |
Shape | elliptic | narrowly linear-lanceolate | elliptic | narrowly linear-lanceolate | narrowly linear-lanceolate | Linear-elliptic | elliptic, apex attenuated | narrowly elliptic or lanceolate |
Length | 12–28 cm | 13–16 cm | 17–24 cm | 20–30 cm | 18–30 cm | 25–28 cm | 12–18 cm | 15–25 cm |
Width | 2–3 cm | 1–1.3 cm | 3–4.5 cm | 8–15 mm | 1–2 cm | 2.3–3 cm | 1.2–2 cm | 2–2.5 cm |
Indumentum | glabrous, sparsely hispidulous on undersurface midrib | glabrous, apex hispidulous | scabrid along veins undersurface | glabrous | glabrous | scabrid along veins undersurface | scabrid along veins undersurface | scabrid along veins |
Leaf sheath | ||||||||
Length | 1.5–7 cm | 1.5–5 cm | 1–2 cm | 1.5–2 cm | 2–5 cm | unknown | 1.5–2 cm | 1.4–2 cm |
Indumentum | hispidulous | glabrous | glabrous below, hispidulous above | hispidulous | glabrous | glabrous | hispidulous | glabrous |
Appendage of sheath mouth | not developed | not developed | prominent | small | small | small | prominent | small |
Inflorescence | ||||||||
Shape | oblong | oblong | narrowly oblong | narrowly oblong | triangular-ovate | narrowly oblong | narrowly oblong | narrowly oblong |
Length | 20–45 cm | 8–10 cm | 10–22 cm | 3.5–13.5 cm | 12–20 cm | 15–25 cm | 3–15 cm long | 5–6 cm |
Width | 3–5 cm | 2–5 cm | 3–4 cm | 1–2.5 cm | 3–6 cm | 1–2 cm | 1–2 cm | 1–1.5 cm |
Peduncles | exserted | exserted | scarcely or slightly exserted | scarcely exserted | exserted | scarcely exserted | exserted | scarcely exserted |
Spikes | ||||||||
Length | 15–30 (45) mm | 10–25 mm | 8–10 mm | 5 mm | 8–18 mm | 5–9 mm | 7–10 mm | 5–6 mm |
Male part vs female part | much longer | much longer | equal | longer | much longer | slightly longer | longer | slightly longer |
Utricles | ||||||||
Shape | ovate-elliptic | ovate-elliptic | elliptic | broadly ellipsoid or ellipsoid-obovoid | ovate or rhomboid-ovate | ellipsoid or obovoid-ellipsoid | obovoid or ellipsoid-obovoid | ovate-elliptic |
Length | 6–7.5 mm | 6–7.5 mm | 4–4.5 mm | 4–4.5 mm | 4–5 mm | 4–5 mm | 6–6.5 mm | ca. 3 mm |
Indumentum | densely hispidulous | densely hispidulous | glabrous, margins hispidulous | glabrous | unknown | glabrous below, adpressed-hispid above | glabrous below, adpressed-hispid above | densely hispidulous |
nutlets | ca. 4 mm | ca. 4 mm | 2.25–2.5 mm | 2.25–2.8 mm | unknown | ca. 2.3 mm | 2.25–2.5 mm | immature |
China. Yunnan Province, Malipo County, Mengdong Village, Xiangchunping, 22°54'36.77"N, 104°38'54.09"E, alt. 1850 m, 5 December 2016, E.D. Liu et al. LiuED6425 (holotype: KUN! Barcode 1433368; isotype: KUN! Barcode 1347669).
Morphology of Carex malipoensis A habitat B plant C rhizome D inflorescence E spike F leaf blade G sheath H the transverse veins I leaf margin J male glumes K female glume L utricles M achene. Scale bars: 2 mm. Photographed by X.X. Zhu (A, D, E LiuED6425, LiuED5912 KUN), Y.P. Chen (B, C, F, I Y.P. Chen & L.Q. Jiang MLP01 KUN), and Y. Y. Li (G, H, J–K Y.P. Chen & L.Q. Jiang MLP01 KUN; L, M LiuED6425 KUN).
The new species is most similar to C. trichophylla
Rhizomes elongate. Culms tufted, 70–105 cm long, 2–4 mm in diam, obtusely trigonous, hispidulous, basal sheaths dark brown. Leaves 3–5, basal and cauline, loosely arranged; leaf blade elliptic, 12–28 × 2–3 cm, transverse veins prominent, margin hispidulous-villous, base round to cuneate, apex acute, greyish green when dried; sheaths 1.5–7 cm long, hispidulous, mouth hairy, not developed into prominent appendage. Involucral bracts leaf-like, longer than inflorescence, sheathing; panicles 20–45 × 3–5 cm, with 12–16 branches, single or binate; peduncles up to 9 cm long, reduced toward apex, tenuous, glabrous or slightly pubescent; inflorescence axes sharply trigonous, hairy on edges; bractlets glumiform, ca. 5 mm long, apex awned, awns 4–5 mm long; cladoprophylls utriculiform, 3–4 mm long; spikes bisexual, androgynous, 15–30 (–45) mm long; male part of spike much longer than female part; male part densely many flowered, ca. 2.5 mm wide; female part fewer flowered, 3–4.5 mm wide; male glumes oblong-lanceolate, 6–9 × 1.5–2 (–3.2) mm, awned; female glumes oblong-lanceolate, 3.8–4.2 mm long, pale brown, green at middle, apex acute, midrib extending into a scabrid awn. Utricles ovate-elliptic, 6–7.5 mm long, green to brown, veined, densely hispidulous, apex attenuating into a long beak, ca. 3 mm long, orifice oblique. Nutlets ca. 4 × 1.8–2 mm, dark brown, obovate-elliptic, trigonous. Stigmas 3.
Flowering from November to December, and fruiting in May.
The new species usually grows in evergreen broad-leaved forests at altitudes of 1100–1850 m.
The specific epithet refers to Malipo County of Yunnan Province, China, from where the type specimens were collected.
Ma Li Po Tai Cao (麻栗坡薹草; Chinese name).
China. Yunnan: Maguan County, Ching-kou Loa-chün-shan, 7 December 1947, K.M. Feng 13677 (KUN0368409; KUN1263725); Malipo County, Mengdong Village, 4 December 2016, E.D. Liu et al. LiuED 6336 (KUN1433717), LiuED6403 (KUN1433131); Malipo County, Laojunshan, Bailingyan, 13 May 2017, E.D. Liu et al. LiuED5912 (KUN1340680); Malipo County, Tianbao Town, Bajiaoping Village,1 December 2018, Y.P. Chen & L.Q. Jiang MLP01 (KUN).
Carex atrivaginata
: Vietnam. Chapa: Pételot, 3179 (P00277787, P00277788); E. Poilane, 27084 (MT00072452, MT00072458); C. euprepes: LAOS. Tawieng, Chiengkwang: 2 April, 1932, Kerr, 20927 (BM001172101, K000291207, K000291208, K000291210, NY04059693, P00282617); C. laosensis: Laos. Pak Munung, Wieng chan: 22 April, 1932, Kerr, 21202 (K000291209, K000291210, P00284722); C. poilanei: LAOS. Phong Saly: 6 September, 1941, E. Poilane, 25984 (MT00117677); E. Poilane, 32994 (MT00072475); C. tavoyensis: Myanmar. Padachaung, Tavoy. 3 April, 1921, P.T. Russell, 1935 (K000999214); C. trichophylla: Vietnam. Chapa (Fig.
The new species is currently known from Maguan and Malipo Counties in Yunnan, China. Only six collections have been recorded since 1947. It may be classified as Endangered (EN) or Vulnerable (VU) according to the IUCN Red List criteria(
In comparison with other species of C. sect. Euprepes, C. malipoensis is morphologically most similar to C. trichophylla. Both species have obtusely trigonous culms and elliptic and subpetioleate leaf blades, inflorescences big and loose, and utricles longer than 6 mm, all characters that differ from all the remaining species of C. sect. Euprepes. Despite their shared similarities, C. malipoensis can be distinguished from C. trichophylla in the length of inflorescences and peduncles, and indumentum of sheath and utricles. Specifically, C. malipoensis has much longer culms and spikes, and larger leaves, panicles, and achenes compared with that of C. trichophylla. Moreover, the female glumes and utricles are hispidulous in C. malipoensis, but glabrous in C. trichophylla.
We would like to thank Dr. Chun-Lei Xiang and two anonymous reviewers for their constructive suggestions that greatly improved this paper. We are grateful to the staff of herbaria IBSC, KUN and PE for their kind assistance with research facilities. We also thank Dr. Xin-Xin Zhu for providing the photographs of the new species. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 31872649).