Cyperaceae
Bulbostylis

Bulbostylis squarrosa (Lye) Verdc.

First published in Fl. Trop. E. Africa, Cyperac.: 108 (2010)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Kenya (Garissa District). It is an annual 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: Kenya, Northern Frontier District: 63 km S of Modo Gash, Stannard & Gilbert 993 (K!, holo.; EA, iso.)
Morphology General Habit
Delicate very bright green annual 12–20 cm tall.
Morphology Roots
Rootstock small.
Morphology Stem
Stems 0.2–0.4 mm thick, triangular, ridged, with scattered minute spine-like hairs
Morphology Leaves
Leaf sheaths light reddish brown, with 5–7 prominent veins with short spine-like teeth, with 1–2 mm long hairs at the throat; blades flat with incurved margins, 1–5 cm long, 0.2–0.3 mm wide, strongly dotted with dark reddish brown glands, the veins and margin with dense scabrid hairs
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences congested, 3–6 mm long, 4–10 mm wide, of 2–7 sessile erect or spreading linear-lanceolate spikelets 3–6 mm long, 1.2–1.5 mm wide excluding glume tips; involucral bracts 2–6, the longest 1–2 cm long and overtopping the inflorescence.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes loosely spirally arranged, light reddish brown with green midrib, 1.2–1.4 mm long, excurrent into strongly recurved almost spiniform 1–2 mm awns
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Nutlet pale yellowish brown, obovoid-triangular, 0.7–0.8 mm long, 0.5–0.6 mm wide, smooth to weakly transversely wrinkled, not tuberculate but with surface sculpture of narrow elongate cells.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style-base reddish brown, prominent, persisting on mature nutlet.
Ecology
Dense mixed bushland, Boswellia, Commiphora, Lannea, Acacia; ± 290 m
Note
Related to B. cruciformis (Lye) R.W. Haines but has taller and less scabrid culms, fewer leaves, narrower spikelets with fewer glumes, longer glume awns and non-tuberculate nutlet sculpture.
Distribution
Flora districts: Known only from the type Flora districts: K 1/ K7
[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: threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • 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 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