Cyperaceae
Bulbostylis

Bulbostylis parvinux C.B.Clarke

First published in W.H.Harvey & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Cap. 7: 207 (1898)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Mozambique to KwaZulu-Natal. It is a perennial or rhizomatous geophyte and grows primarily in the subtropical 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
Mozambique, Delagoa Bay area, 29.iii.1894, Kuntze 217 (K holotype).
Morphology General Habit
Tufted perennial up to 60 cm tall; rhizome woody, uniseriate, shoot bases slightly swollen, mostly clothed in white woolly scale leaves
Morphology Leaves
Photosynthetic leaves usually appearing undeveloped; leaf sheaths with mouth sloping, often long white-bearded, hairs curled (woolly), ligule a dense line of white wool; leaf blades often obsolete, setaceous when present, to 26 × 0.2–0.4 mm, margins thickened
Morphology Culms
Culms terete, ridged and furrowed, glabrous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a single terminal head up to 25 × 23 mm, almost spherical at maturity, of up to 16 spikelets, usually densely white woolly during development; bracts 3–6, visible when inflorescence young, later masked by reflexing spikelets, margins of sheaths conspicuously white bearded
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets compressed throughout, 6–9 × 2.1–4 mm, ovate to oblong in age
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes distichous, most fertile, 4–5 × 2.7–3.9 mm, finely pubescent below or glabrous, apex mucronate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 3
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style 2.6–4 mm long, 3-angled, 3-branched, glabrous, base round, vertically compressed, c. 0.1 mm deep, dark brown, persistent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Nutlet 0.8–1.2 × 0.5–1 mm, ovoid, trigonous, eventually golden brown, surface reticulate, not transversely ridged, outermost cells predominantly sub-quadrate or slightly longer than wide.
Distribution
Mozambique. Also in South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal).
Ecology
Locally common on white and pale red sandy soils among grasses in Terminalia and Acacia burkei woodland in between sand forest strips; 10–120 m.
Conservation
Restricted to the Maputaland area; possibly Near 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: low confidence
[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