Cyperaceae
Abildgaardia

Abildgaardia triflora (L.) Abeyw.

First published in Ceylon J. Sci., Biol. Sci. 2: 82 (1959)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Ghana to Togo, Kenya to S. Africa, Madagascar, S. India, Sri Lanka. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

J. Browning, K.D. Gordon-Gray†, M. Lock, H. Beentje, K. Vollesen, K. Bauters, C. Archer, I. Larridon, M. Xanthos, P. Vorster, J. Bruhl, K. Wilson and X. Zhang (2020). Flora Zambesiaca Volume: 14: Cyperaceae. M.Á. García, J.R. Timberlake (Eds). Kew Publish

Type
India, König s.n. in Herb. Linn. 70.35 (LINN lectotype).
Morphology General Habit
Perennial herb to 100 cm tall, usually 40–70 cm; rhizome woody, tufted
Morphology Leaves
Leaf bases forming well-marked, persistent tunics, dark brown to black; sheath mouth truncate, occasionally sloping, oblique; blade to 400 × 1–2 mm, linear, margins scabrid
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence anthelate of one central sessile and 1–4 pedicelled spikelets (numbers variable on individual plants); bracts 2–4, to 20 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets terminating pedicels to 30 mm long, 11–22 × 4–7 mm, to 32 mm with age
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes greenish yellow, fertile, 5.8–9.3 × 3.2–6.1 mm, strongly keeled
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Perianth
Perianth 0
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 3
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style 4.5–5.5 mm long, base pyramidal, becoming dark brown with age, deciduous with style, faintly to prominently 3-angled
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Nutlet 2.3–3.1 × 1.3–1.9 mm, obovoid to markedly pyriform, fawn to dark brown, eventually black, shining surface etuberculate to prominently tuberculate, outermost cells subquadrate, eventually velate.
Distribution
Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique. In Ghana, Togo, Kenya, Tanzania, Angola, Namibia, South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga) and Swaziland; also in India and Sri Lanka.
Ecology
Halophyte growing in salt marshes, swamps and dambos; 0–1200 m.
Conservation
Widespread; not threatened.
Recognition
The species is readily recognised by the basally flattened spikelets arranged in a simple anthela.
[FZ]

Cyperaceae, K Hoenselaar, B. Verdcourt & H. Beentje. Hypolytrum, D Simpson. Fuirena, M Muasya. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2010

Type
Type: India, König s.n. in Herb. Linn. 70. 35(LINN, lecto.)
Morphology General Habit
Densely tufted perennial 30–75 cm tall with a thick rhizome.
Morphology Stem
Stems 1–3 mm thick, angular or flattened, slightly scabrid above with golden red-brown to dark brown leaf sheaths at the base
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 10–30 cm long, 0.2–2.5 mm wide, flat, scabrid at margins
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence of one sessile and 1–4 stalked spikelets on 1–8 mm long peduncles or rarely with a solitary spikelet.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Bracts leafy, 0.5–3 cm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets ovoid, 1–2.5(–4 in fruit) cm long, 4–10 mm wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes pale brown with darker brown stripe on each side of green midrib, ovate to triangular, 6–8 mm long, the lowest ± distichous, the rest spirally arranged; each supported by a reddish brown oblong scale ± 1.5 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style branches 3
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Nutlet pale brown to grey, triangular, obovoid with long narrow base, 2.4–2.6 mm long, 1.5–1.8 mm wide, almost smooth to slightly tuberculate
Figures
Fig. 17, p114
Ecology
Tidal mud and sand flats, seasonally swampy depressions with black soil, salt marsh, Hyphaene/Sclerocarya wooded grassland bordering Avicennia mangrove swamp; sea level–45 m
Distribution
Range: Ghana, Togo, Mozambique, South Africa; India, Sri Lanka Flora districts: K7 T3 T6 T8 ZP
[FTEA]

Cyperaceae, Miss S. S. Hooper. Flora of West Tropical Africa 3:2. 1972

Morphology General Habit
Stout rhizomatous perennial up to 60 cm. high
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Crowded culms and inflorescences of 2–3 large yellowish buff spikelets up to 17 mm. long and 3–4·5 mm. wide
Ecology
Grasslands, especially near the coast.
[FWTA]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0