Cyperaceae
Fimbristylis

Fimbristylis aphylla Steud.

First published in Syn. Pl. Glumac. 2: 114 (1855)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is W. Tropical Africa to KwaZulu-Natal, China (Yunnan) to Tropical Asia. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

Cyperaceae, Miss S. S. Hooper. Flora of West Tropical Africa 3:2. 1972

Morphology General Habit
Stout tufted perennial
Morphology Leaves
The leaf-blades much reduced, scarcely reaching 1 cm. long
Morphology Stem
Acutely quadrangular almost winged stems up to 75 cm. high
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Widely spreading panicles often broader than long with light chestnut elliptic-lanceolate spikelets and short bracts
Ecology
Swamps and very damp ground in savanna and near rivers, etc.
[FWTA]

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
Indonesia, Java, Goering sect. II, 149 (Herb. Goering lectotype); W Java, n.d., Zollinger 1609 (P syntype, F, G); Java, Prabaksi, n.d., Zollinger 3524 (P syntype, BM, F, G, GH), lectotypified by Kern (1955).
Morphology General Habit
Perennial tufted herb up to 120 cm tall; rhizome woody, contracted, less often elongate then up to 6 mm wide, often obliquely vertical in soil, clothed in yellow to grey brown scale leaves when young, soon decaying
Morphology Leaves
Leaves reduced to sheaths, closely surrounding culms, mouth sloping, white ciliate adjacent to reduced blade; ligule 0; blades obsolete, filiform apiculate with 4 mm extension of main sheath nerves, margins densely white pubescent
Morphology Culms
Culms 4–5-angled, glabrous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence anthelate with up to 50(80) spikelets, mostly pedicellate; bracts 2–5, not exceeding inflorescence
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets 4–7 × 2.2–3 mm, brown, compact, basal glumes early deciduous, wings on rachilla minute
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes 2–2.4 × 1.8–2 mm, keel 3-veined, terminating slightly below apex as minute recurved mucron, apex rounded or less often emarginate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens (2)3
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style 3-angled to faintly 3-winged, angles finely fringed above or glabrous, base long pyramidal, branches 3
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Nutlet 0.9–1 × 0.65–0.7 mm, trigonous, gynophore minute, surface with longitudinal ridges faint to indistinguishable, usually markedly warty.
Ecology
Permanently wet swamps and dambos; 900–1300 m.
Conservation
Infrequently collected; possibly threatened.
Note
Haines & Lye (1983) and F.T.E.A give an account of Fimbristylis subaphylla Boeckeler. This taxon is not yet recorded for the Flora area but is likely to be present in swamps in N Zambia.
[FZ]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/176921/140402114

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

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

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical 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/

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/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