Cyperaceae
Bulbostylis

Bulbostylis quaternella (Ridl.) Goetgh.

First published in Bull. Jard. Bot. Natl. Belg. 55: 223 (1985)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is DR Congo to S. Tropical Africa. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

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
Angola, Pundo Andongo, Pedras de Guinga, iii.1857, Welwitsch 6830b & 6827b (BM syntypes).
Morphology General Habit
Perennial 18–40 cm tall, tightly tufted; rhizome short, inconspicuous, roots slender
Morphology Leaves
Leaf sheaths short, c. 10 mm long, brown, membranous, mouth white-fringed; leaf blades 40–70 × 0.3–0.4 mm, glabrous, bristle-like, closely placed
Morphology Culms
Culms 0.3–0.5 mm wide, glabrous, scabridulous below inflorescence
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence anthelate, a central sessile spikelet with 3–4 erect, equally long (10–15 mm) scabridulous branches, terminating in a spikelet; bracts inconspicuous, shorter than spikelets, with a few long white hairs
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets 9–10 × 2 mm, lanceolate, dark red-brown
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes 2.8–3.5 mm long, lanceolate-oblong, obtuse to rounded, keel scabrid, pronounced, margins ciliate, lower glumes mucronulate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 3, anthers up to 2 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style 3-branched, base persistent on nutlet
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Nutlet 0.8–1 × 0.6–0.7 mm, trigonous, obovoid, greyish-white, transversely rugose with 3 prominent angles.
Distribution
Zambia, Zimbabwe. Also in D.R. Congo and Angola.
Ecology
Open sandy ground in damp forest clearings and margins of dambos; 1100–1300 m.
Conservation
Fairly widespread; not threatened.
Recognition
Bulbostylis quaternella is distinguished by the scaberulous, ± equal, erect (scarcely spreading) inflorescence branches and dark brown to blood-red spikelets. It may be confused with B. burchellii
[FZ]

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