Bulbostylis argenteobrunea C.B.Clarke

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

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

Type

Type: Kenya, Machakos District: Kikumbuliyu, Ngomeni, Scott Elliot 6170 (K!, holo.; BM, iso.)

Morphology General Habit

Short-lived perennial (or sometimes annual fide Greenway & Kanuri 12770) herb 10–35 cm tall, with short woody rhizome and slender roots.

Morphology Stem

Stems 0.5–1 mm wide, obscurely triangular or round, sometimes hairy, glabrous or minutely scabrid below the inflorescence

Morphology Leaves

Leaves borne from basal 5 cm of plant; blades 3–8 cm long, 0.3–0.5 mm wide, flat, with 3 prominent ribs on lower surface.

Morphology Leaves Leaf sheaths

Sheaths pale reddish brown or whitish with scattered reddish-brown dots, minutely hairy and with many long flexuous hairs at the throat

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence 1–2.5 mm long, 1–3 mm wide consisting of 1 sessile spikelet and 3–5 stalked spikelets or spikelet clusters. Inflorescence bracts 3 or 4, erect or spreading with glume-like base and excurrent green leafy tip 0.5–3 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Peduncles

Peduncles 0.5–1.5 cm long, minutely hairy.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets pale brown with green midrib, ovoid-ellipsoid, 4–7 mm long, 1.5–2.5 mm wide, 8–20-flowered.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume

Glumes pale reddish brown with green midrib, ovate-elliptic, membranous, 2.5–3 mm long, densely shortly white-hairy

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens 3

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style

Style dark reddish brown, 3 mm long with 3 densely hairy stigmas Style base dark brown, persistent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Nutlets silvery white or cream, obovoid, bluntly triangular in section, 0.8–1 mm long, 0.7 mm wide with ± 10 transverse wrinkles on each side, the angles with one row of cells longer than wide, the wrinkles with close ribs.

Ecology

Isolated plants in sand pockets in rock crevices, mixed grassland on granite rock pavements, pasture derived from cleared bushland; 150–1050 m

Note

A population growing by hot springs near the soda lake Bogoria [Lake Hannington] was at first considered a new species by Muasya but he later decided it was B. argenteobrunnea. There are six collections from Bogoria at EA; Bally 15140 (W shore on S end of the lake, 26 June 1972) is one example.

Distribution

Range: Not known elsewhere Flora districts: K3 K4 K7