Cyperaceae
Actinoschoenus

Actinoschoenus repens J.Raynal

First published in Adansonia, n.s., 7: 92 (1967)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Zambia. It is a rhizomatous geophyte 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: 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
Zambia, Mwinilunga, source of Zambezi R., 13.xii.1963, Robinson 5977 (K holotype, P).
Morphology General Habit
Rhizomatous densely tufted perennial, appearing leafless, but bases enveloped by closed, short leaf sheaths with ligules c. 1.3 mm long
Morphology Culms
Culms 50–60 cm × 0.5–0.8 mm, curved basally, becoming erect or almost so
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence terminal, a shortly bracteated head of (3)4 closely aligned, linear-lanceolate spikelets c. 10 mm long, each comprising a short, sometimes long- mucronate bract, a short ± ovate, veinless prophyll with lateral edges infolded, and 5 glumes with emarginate, mucronate apices, distichous, successively larger upwards, the basal sterile, topmost closely enveloping a single floret
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 3; anthers 2.8–3 mm long, connective prolonged, red; at anthesis filaments extruding beyond enfolding, enwrapping glume
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style elongate, exceeding uppermost glume in length, base expanded into a ‘funnel’ covering apex of nutlet, soon detaching, moving upwards through enwrapping glume to project as a dark bristle; branches 3, fimbriate, soon drying off
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Nutlet ovate in outline, trigonous, c. 2.5 × 1.7 mm, cream to brownish; surface topography faintly cellular, cells isodiametric, eventually papillate.
Distribution
Zambia. Monotypic in the Flora area.
Ecology
Almost exclusively on sand in open parts of Cryptosepalum woodland; 1300–1400 m.
Conservation
Endemic to the Mwinilunga area; unlikely to be threatened.
[FZ]

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

  • 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 2025. 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 2025. 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