Cyperaceae
Bulbostylis

Bulbostylis abbreviata (Lye) Lye

First published in Nordic J. Bot. 28: 516 (2010)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is DR Congo to Zambia. It is an annual or perennial 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
Zambia, 125 km S of Mpika, near Lusaka road, 29.iv.1961, Robinson 4647 (K holotype).
Morphology General Habit
Erect annual, occasionally a perennial, up to 15 cm tall; stems clustered, lacking rhizome and tunic of leaf bases
Morphology Leaves
Leaves numerous, equalling or more than culm length; leaf sheath mouth inconspicuously long white-fringed; leaf blades 40–80 × 0.2–0.3 mm, filiform, margins scabrous pubescent to glabrous
Morphology Culms
Culms ridged and furrowed, glabrous or sparsely scabrid
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence variable, capitate, sometimes with secondary heads, or anthelate with proximal branches overtopping distal ones; basal spikelets above ground may be present, but concealed among tufted stems; bracts few, longer than inflorescence, margins at base glabrous or scantily white-fringed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets 4–7 mm long, many-flowered
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes spiral, 2–3.5 mm long, distinctly mucronate (0.5–1.5 mm), fimbriolate with finely hairy margins, cinnamon-brown to dark brown, 3-nerved, with rounded back
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 3
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style glabrous, dark brown, style base round, persistent on nutlet, branches 3, shorter than style
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Nutlet 0.7–0.9 × 0.5–0.7 mm, obovoid, surface variable, usually transversely wrinkled, oblong cells with conical silica bodies; basal nutlet c. 1.6 × 1.1 mm.
Distribution
Zambia. Also in D.R. Congo.
Ecology
Seasonally wet sand associated with quartzite rocks and metalliferous soils; c. 1400 m.
Conservation
Apparently with a restricted distribution. It was listed as Vulnerable B1ab(iii) in the IUCN Red List in 2013.
[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: threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/44393507/44466512

Conservation
VU - vulnerable
[IUCN]

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/

  • 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