taxonID	type	description	language	source
6D5BCC021B335134A1D594631E366961.taxon	description	Figs 3, 5 A – J	en	González-Gallego, Luis, Benítez-Benítez, Carmen, Reznicek, Anton A., Cano, Asunción, Oleas, Nora H., Martín-Bravo, Santiago, Jiménez-Mejías, Pedro (2025): Carex huancabambica (Cyperaceae), a new species from the Peruvian and Ecuadorian Andes. PhytoKeys 265: 161-180, DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.265.161909
6D5BCC021B335134A1D594631E366961.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnosis. This species is superficially similar to C. boliviensis, from which it primarily differs by stiff short stems (wiry and flexuous in C. boliviensis), as well as by the utricle shape, broadly elliptical (ovate to narrowly elliptical in C. boliviensis). From the also closely-related C. angustispica, C. huancabambica differs in its smaller size, with culms from <0.50 (subacaulescent) to 25 cm (( 3 –) 10 – 65 cm in C. angustispica) as well as in the shape of the utricles (ovoid to obovoid in C. angustispica).	en	González-Gallego, Luis, Benítez-Benítez, Carmen, Reznicek, Anton A., Cano, Asunción, Oleas, Nora H., Martín-Bravo, Santiago, Jiménez-Mejías, Pedro (2025): Carex huancabambica (Cyperaceae), a new species from the Peruvian and Ecuadorian Andes. PhytoKeys 265: 161-180, DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.265.161909
6D5BCC021B335134A1D594631E366961.taxon	description	Morphological description. Plants cespitose (Fig. 3). Fertile culms yellowish – green, glabrous, <0.50 – 25 cm long, but length variable within the same plant, erect, stiff, not flexuous, sometimes subacaulescent, with the culm concealed by the leaves, stems trigonous, sparsely antrorsely scabrid, especially at the distal part. Basal sheaths not fibrous, purplish-tinged. Leaves with sheaths membranous at top, hyaline, truncate to U-shaped, sparsely pilose, the open margins ciliate; ligule U-shaped, less than 0.5 mm to 1 mm, shorter than wide; blades up to 11 cm long, 2 – 4 mm wide, flat to M-shaped in cross-section, herbaceous, glabrous to more or less pubescent on abaxial surface, especially proximally and along the margins and veins, margins sparsely antrorsely scabrid, mainly distally. Inflorescences racemose, with (1 –) 3 – 4 spikes (Fig. 5 A, F), 14 – 32 mm long, 4 – 12 mm wide; proximal bracts leaf-like, 10 – 40 mm long, 9 – 21 mm wide, sparsely antrorsely scabrid, glabrous or ciliate on the abaxial face along margins and veins, sheathless or with a sheath up to 2 – 4 mm long, ciliate at the insertion with the stem; lateral spikes unisexual, pistillate (rarely staminate, seemingly androgynous in some undeveloped lateral spikes); peduncle sparsely antrorsely scabrid to glabrous; terminal spike gynaecandrous, 10.0 – 15.5 mm long, 3 – 4 mm wide, approx. 20 – 40 pistillate flowers per spike. Pistillate scales (glumes) 1.7 – 2.5 mm long, 1.0 – 1.5 mm wide, elliptical, glabrous, with apex obtuse or acute, sometimes nearly acuminate, rarely with shorter cilia at the apex, brownish distally and yellowing proximally, mid-vein lighter, margins hyaline (Fig. 5 B, G). Utricles 2.0 – 2.8 mm long, 1.0 – 1.4 mm wide, broadly elliptical to elliptical – obovate, narrowly biconvex, uniformly brownish-green, glabrous (Fig. 5 H, I) or loosely pilose on all its surface (Fig. 5 C, D), with 2 prominent lateral nerves and sides nerveless or nearly so, tapering to the base and to the apex, beakless or with a very short inconspicuous truncate beak. Style withering; stigmas 3. Achenes trigonous, 1.5 – 1.9 mm long, 0.9 – 1.3 mm wide, broadly elliptical to suborbicular, almost filling entirely the utricles, tipped by a very short mucronate style remnant (Fig. 5 E, J).	en	González-Gallego, Luis, Benítez-Benítez, Carmen, Reznicek, Anton A., Cano, Asunción, Oleas, Nora H., Martín-Bravo, Santiago, Jiménez-Mejías, Pedro (2025): Carex huancabambica (Cyperaceae), a new species from the Peruvian and Ecuadorian Andes. PhytoKeys 265: 161-180, DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.265.161909
6D5BCC021B335134A1D594631E366961.taxon	distribution	Distribution and habitat. (Fig. 1) Ecuador (Provinces of Azuay, Carchi, Imbabura, Loja, Pichincha) and northern Peru (Departments of Cajamarca and Piura) in the context of the Amotape – Huancabamba Zone, separating the Northern from Central Andes. Present in open moist habitats on volcanic soils, at 2,900 – 3,900 m alt. Given the small size of the plant, additional populations of this species could exist and have been overlooked.	en	González-Gallego, Luis, Benítez-Benítez, Carmen, Reznicek, Anton A., Cano, Asunción, Oleas, Nora H., Martín-Bravo, Santiago, Jiménez-Mejías, Pedro (2025): Carex huancabambica (Cyperaceae), a new species from the Peruvian and Ecuadorian Andes. PhytoKeys 265: 161-180, DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.265.161909
6D5BCC021B335134A1D594631E366961.taxon	etymology	Etymology. The species epithet, huancabambica, is derived from the Huancabamba Depression within the Amotape – Huancabamba Zone in the Andes, that extends between Piura and Cajamarca in northern Peru to Loja in southern Ecuador.	en	González-Gallego, Luis, Benítez-Benítez, Carmen, Reznicek, Anton A., Cano, Asunción, Oleas, Nora H., Martín-Bravo, Santiago, Jiménez-Mejías, Pedro (2025): Carex huancabambica (Cyperaceae), a new species from the Peruvian and Ecuadorian Andes. PhytoKeys 265: 161-180, DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.265.161909
