Cyperaceae
Bulbostylis

Bulbostylis afroorientalis (Lye) R.W.Haines

First published in R.W.Haines & K.A.Lye, Sedges & Rushes E. Afr., App. 3: 1 (1983)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is SE. Kenya. It is an annual and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/179655/1585610

Conservation
EN - endangered
[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: threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

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

Type
Type: Kenya, Kwale District: 4 km E of Kinango, Lye 6288 (EA, holo.; K!, iso.)
Morphology General Habit
Tufted annual 5–20 tall, glabrous.
Morphology Roots
Root system small
Morphology Leaves
Leaves many, 1–10 cm long, almost filiform, scabrid.
Morphology Leaves Leaf sheaths
Sheaths straw-coloured to light reddish-brown, hairy to glabrous and with long flexuous hairs at the mouth
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence 0.5–2.5 cm wide, of 1 sessile and 1–6 pedunculate spikelets and sometimes with an additional stalked spikelet from the base of 1–2 of the pedunculate spikelets.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Bracts reddish brown with subulate green leafy tip of up to 2 cm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets ovoid, 3–6 mm long, 2–4 mm wide, often with spreading glumes which are light reddish brown with green or straw-coloured midrib, ovate, 2–2.3 mm long, densely shortly hairy
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Nutlets yellowish brown to grey, obovoid with 3 distinct angles, 0.7–0.8 mm long, 0.4–0.5 mm wide, with or without a darker persistent style base; sculpture reticulate, transversely wrinkled with elongate strongly sinuous cells and on the angles some cells wider than long.
Ecology
Seasonally wet seepage grassland with scattered trees; 80–300 m
Note
Two further specimens from further north on the Kenya coast are, I believe, also this species – Tana River District: 48 km S of Garsen, Kurawa, 20 Sept. 1951, Polhill & Paulo 514 at 15 m in Dobera, Acacia, Hyphaene scattered tree grassland; and Lamu District: Boni Forest, Mararani, 4 Sept. 1961, Gillespie 270. They are more robust, 30–40 cm tall, with broader leaves and nutlets much darker when adult.
Distribution
Flora districts: K7 Range: Not known elsewhere
[FTEA]

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

  • 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