Cyperaceae
Bulbostylis

Bulbostylis pallescens (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 S. Somalia to Kenya. 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: Garissa to Modo-Gash, 13 km S of Modo-Gash, Stannard & Gilbert 938 (EA, holo.; K!, iso.)
Morphology General Habit
Tufted annual 5–12 cm tall with very small root system.
Morphology Stem
Stems 0.3–0.5 mm wide, prominently ribbed and with short spine-like hairs
Morphology Leaves
Leaves basal, the blades 1–5 cm long, 0.3–0.7 mm wide, densely scabrid on margin and ribs.
Morphology Leaves Leaf sheaths
Sheaths straw-coloured to pale brown, densely scabrid and with long flexuous hairs in the throat
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence 5–20 mm wide, of 2–5 crowded spikelets; main bract filiform, 5–10 mm long, the only one longer than a spikelet.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets straw and brown or pale green, ovoid, 3–6 mm long, 2–4 mm wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes greyish or straw-coloured but often reddish brown below, ovate, 2.6–3 mm long, pubescent; midrib green, produced as a
Ecology
" Commiphora, Euphorbia, Cordia, Acacia etc. bush with sparse ground cover; 250–?1800 m
Note
I at first thought the Naivasha specimen might be incorrectly named, since although it closely resembles the type, the nutlets did not agree with Haines & Lye’s SEM figure. I then discovered that nutlets from the K isotype did not agree either. This is presumably to do with maturity.
Distribution
Flora districts: K1 K3 Range: Somalia
[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: low confidence
[AERP]

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit
Slender tufted annual; stems 5–12 cm long and 0.3–0.5 mm thick, scabrid
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades 1–5 cm long and 0.3–0.7 mm wide, densely scabrid on margin and ribs; leaf-sheaths straw-coloured to light brown, densely scabrid
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a solitary terminal cluster (5–10 mm wide), of 2–5 sessile spikelets; major inflorescence-bract filiform, 5–10 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets 3–6 x 2-4 mm, ovoid, greyish
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes 2.6–3 mm long, ovate, pubescent, greyish or straw-coloured, but often reddish-brown below; midrib green, excurrent in a distinct mucro
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Nutlet 0.7–0.8 x 0.4–0.5 mm, triangular, light brown with the base of the style persisting as a darker knob, indistinctly reticulate with rectangular surface-cells.
Distribution
S3; Kenya
Ecology
Altitude range 20–100 m.
[FSOM]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • 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/

  • 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