Family:
Cyperaceae Juss.
Genus:
Hypolytrum Pers.

Hypolytrum testui Cherm.

This species is accepted, and its native range is W. Central Tropical Africa to Tanzania.

[FTEA]

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

Type
Type: Gabon, Lipuizamory, Le Testu 6512 (P, holo.)
Morphology General Habit
Robust, rhizomatous perennial.
Morphology Culms
Culm central, 89–160 cm long, trigonous, 1.9–3.8 mm wide, smooth to scabrid in upper part
Morphology Leaves
Leaves mostly basal but also 1–3 cauline, linear, 57–160 × 1.4–2.4 cm, gradually narrowed, acute, flat or slightly plicate, margins entire to serrulate.
Morphology Leaves Leaf sheaths
Sheath 6.5–11 cm long, 1.4–2 cm wide (when flattened), membranous margins pale to mid-brown
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Involucral bracts leaf-like, linear, 10–71 × 0.8–1.6 cm, gradually narrowed, acute
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence paniculate, comprising 7–13 primary branches 0.6–5 cm long, each subtending 7–10 secondary branches 0.5–1.3 mm long, in turn subtending 1–5 spikes. Spikes ellipsoid to obovoid, becoming globose in fruit, 0.3–0.6 cm long, 1.5–2(–3 in fruit) mm wide, mid-brown.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers
Anthers white, linear, 1–1.3 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Filaments
Filaments to 4.5 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style 2.7–4.7 mm long (including stigma branches)
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit ellipsoid, 2.3 mm long, 1.2 mm wide, apical portion triangular, obtuse, base triangular-stipitate, surface dark grey green to dark brown, apical portion and base paler, with longitudinal ridges and 2 lateral costae
Ecology
Moist forest; 850–1200 m
Note
The name Hypolytrum nemorum (Vahl) Spreng. actually refers to a plant which is widespread in tropical Asia and Indomalesia which is distinct from M. testui. Much of our meaterial had been named as H. testui in the past. Some specimens were determined as H. leucandrum Nelmes, although this name was never published; and there appears to be no difference between these specimens and others assigned to M. testui.
Distribution
Range: Gabon, Congo-Kinshasa Flora districts: T3 T6 T7

Native to:

Cabinda, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Tanzania, Zaïre

Hypolytrum testui Cherm. appears in other Kew resources:

First published in Bull. Soc. Bot. France 77: 277 (1930)

Accepted by

  • Figueiredo, E. & Smith, G.F. (2008). Plants of Angola Strelitzia 22: 1-279. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
  • Govaerts, R. & Simpson, D.A. (2007). World Checklist of Cyperaceae. Sedges: 1-765. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Govaerts, R. (2004). World Checklist of Monocotyledons Database in ACCESS: 1-54382. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Hoenselaar, K., Verdcourt, B. & Beentje, H. (2010). Cyperaceae Flora of Tropical East Africa: 1-466.
  • Lejoy, J., Ndjele, M.-B. & Geerinck, D. (2010). Catalogue-flore des plantes vasculaires des districts de Kisangani et de la Tshopo (RD Congo) Taxonomania. Revue de Taxonomie et de Nomenclature Botaniques 30: 1-307.
  • Sosef, M.S.M. & al. (2006). Check-list des plantes vasculaires du Gabon Scripta Botanica Belgica 35: 1-438.

Literature

Kew Backbone Distributions

  • Lye, K.A. & Thery, P. (2012). Flore du Gabon 44: 1-230. Muséum National D'Histoire Naturelle, Paris.
  • Sosef, M.S.M. & al. (2006). Check-list des plantes vasculaires du Gabon Scripta Botanica Belgica 35: 1-438.

Flora of Tropical East Africa

  • Bull. Soc. Bot. Fr. 77: 277 (1930)
  • Haines & Lye, Sedges & Rushes E. Afr.: 326, fig. 670 (1983).

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

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

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0