Cyperaceae
Bulbostylis

Bulbostylis mucronata C.B.Clarke

First published in Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 38: 135 (1906)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Angola to W. Zimbabwe and Namibia. It is a perennial or rhizomatous geophyte and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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
Namibia, Hereroland, Otjimbingue, 1897, Fischer 156 (B holotype).
Morphology General Habit
Tufted annual up to 8 cm (rarely to 15 cm); rhizome and tunic of leaf bases lacking
Morphology Leaves
Leaves numerous, equalling culm length; leaf sheath light brown, membranous, mouth inconspicuously long white-fringed, ligule 0; leaf blades c. 80 × 0.2–0.4 mm, filiform, setaceous
Morphology Culms
Culms 50–80 × 0.25–0.3 mm, subquadrangular, ridged and furrowed, glabrous, scabrid immediately below inflorescence
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence variable, anthelate of central sessile spikelet with 1–3 stalked spikelets, or 2–3 sessile spikelets or reduced to 1 sessile terminal spikelet only; basal spikelets above ground often present but concealed among tufted stems
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Bracts 1–3, 10–35 mm long, scantily white-fringed in basal sheathing part, apex narrowed, margins scabrid
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets 4–5(6) × 2–3 mm (including mucros), linear-lanceolate, apex acute
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes 8–10, spiral, 2.3–2.5 mm long (including 0.3–0.5 mm mucro), brown to reddish brown, glabrous, 3-nerved, green midrib terminating in curved mucronate apex
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 1–3
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style glabrous, dark brown basally, style base persistent on nutlet, branches 3 usually shorter than the style
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Nutlet 0.7–0.8 × 0.5–0.6 mm, obovoid, trigonous, yellowish-white, darkening at maturity, transversely rugose with c. 10–13 rugae, with papillae on ridges.
Distribution
Zimbabwe. Also in Namibia and Angola.
Ecology
Granite sandveld; 1200–1300 m.
Conservation
Widely distributed but probably undercollected; not threatened.
[FZ]

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]

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

    • 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