Cyperaceae
Bulbostylis

Bulbostylis cupricola Goetgh.

First published in Bull. Jard. Bot. Natl. Belg. 54: 92 (1984)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is DR Congo to S. Tropical Africa. It is an annual 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
D.R. Congo, Upper Katanga, Lukuni old copper mine, 1300 m, 4.i.1971, Léonard 5248 (BR holotype, GENT).
Morphology General Habit
Erect, tufted annual up to 15 cm tall; rhizome and tunic of leaf bases lacking
Morphology Leaves
Leaves numerous, 1/3 to occasionally equalling culm length leaf sheath mouth inconspicuously long white-fringed, ligule 0; leaf blades 30–80 × 0.2 mm, filiform, inrolled, margins scabrous, hairs when present, pilose to villous, mostly confined to nerves
Morphology Culms
Culms 0.2 mm wide, ridged and furrowed, glabrous, shortly scabrous below inflorescence
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence anthelate, of central spikelet with 0–4 scabridulous inflorescence branches bearing spikelets; bracts usually 2 visible, 3–12 mm long, margins glabrous or scantily white-fringed, apex attenuated, scabrid
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets 3–6 × 1–1.5 mm, acute
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes spiral, 1.7–2.3 × 0.8–1 mm, ovate, margins translucent, shortly ciliate to almost glabrous; flanks veinless, glabrous with rusty-red brown patches, midrib 3-nerved, usually ending prior to apex
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 3
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style glabrous, dark brown basally, style base persistent on nutlet, branches 3, usually shorter than style
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Nutlet 0.7 × 0.4 mm, obovoid, to narrowly obovoid, subtrigonous, surface slightly transversely rugose, dark rusty-red.
Distribution
Zambia. Also in D.R. Congo)..
Ecology
Often on copper anomalies; 1200–1300 m.
Conservation
Endemic to the Zambian/Congo Copperbelt, very local in distribution; probably not 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: 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

  • 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