Cyperaceae
Bulbostylis

Bulbostylis buchananii C.B.Clarke

First published in D.Oliver & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Trop. Afr. 8: 437 (1902)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is S. Ethiopia to S. Tropical Africa. It is an annual or perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Type
Type: Malawi, Buchanan 1329 (K!, holo.)
Morphology General Habit
A densely tufted annual or short-lived perennial 5–35 cm tall.
Morphology Stem
Stems 0.3–0.6 mm wide, angular, scabrid or glabrous
Morphology Leaves
Leaves filiform, 2–20 cm long, 2–6 mm wide, scabrid.
Morphology Leaves Leaf sheaths
Sheaths pale brown with long hairs at mouth
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a solitary terminal head of few to many spikelets, 0.5–1.2 cm diameter.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Bracts filiform, up to 5 cm long, usually long-setose.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets lanceolate, 3–6 mm long, 1–2 mm wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes reddish brown, ovate, 2.5–4 mm long, acute to mucronate, densely hairy
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Nutlets greyish, obovoid, triangular, 0.8–1.1 mm long, 0.6–0.7 mm wide, strongly transversely wrinkled with quite deep transverse grooves between the wrinkles which have close microscopic ribs, and with large papillae on the 3 angular longitudinal ribs.
Ecology
" Brachystegia and Julbernardia- Parinari woodland, open areas with sandy or lateritic soil, swamp, lake and stream edges, rock outcrops etc.; 350–1650 m
Note
Two specimens from Tanzania (Ufipa District: Lake Kwela, Mpui, 14 Mar. 1959, McCallum Webster c20!; Mbeya District: near road from Utengela to coffee farm below Mbeya Peak, 6 Apr. 1970, Wingfield 571(c) pro parte!) have the same transversely wrinkled nutlets; they occur with B. buchananii ( Wingfield 571(c)) but the solitary spikelet inflorescence is distinctive. They might represent a separate taxon.
Distribution
Range: Malawi Flora districts: K3 K4 K 6T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T7 T8
[FTEA]

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
Malawi, no locality, 1891, Buchanan 1329 (K holotype).
Morphology General Habit
Annual or short-lived perennial, densely tufted, 10–30 cm tall; lacking rhizome, base often thickened by compacted spikelets within leaf bases
Morphology Leaves
Leaves numerous, 1/2–1/3 culm length; leaf sheath mouth conspicuously long white-fringed, ligule 0; leaf blades up to 200 × 0.2–0.4 mm, filiform, margins scabrous
Morphology Culms
Culms angular, ridged and furrowed, glabrous to scabrid apically
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a head of 5–15 spikelets; bracts 3–4(6), apically filiform, 5–30 mm long, glume- like basally, margins with pronounced white hairs
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets lanceolate, 4–6 × 1–2 mm
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes 2.5–4 mm long, spiral, ovate, scabrid, reddish brown, midrib green, apex mucronate to shortly apiculate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 3
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style 3-branched, usually shorter than style, style base persistent on nutlet
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Nutlet 0.9–1 × 0.6–0.8 mm, pale cream to light brown, trigonous, transversely rugose with 7–8 elevated bands of elongate cells, raised papillae on 3 longitudinal ribs (nutlet angles).
Distribution
Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique. Also in Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi and D.R. Congo.
Ecology
Open woodland, roadsides, rocky outcrops, sandy river and lake margins; 600–1500 m.
Conservation
Widespread; not threatened.
Recognition
The mature nutlet is distinctive with numerous papillae on the 3 angles giving a pronounced crenulated appearance when viewed from the abaxial surface.
Note
Some collections have been recorded as being found on copper oxide lateritic soils.
[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

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

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

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 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 2026. 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 2026. 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