Carex via-aquae Jim.Mejías, Lois, Acedo & Reznicek, 2023

Lois, Raúl, Acedo, Carmen, Reznicek, Anton A. & Jiménez-Mejías, Pedro, 2023, Three newly described species of Carex sect. Fecundae (Cyperaceae) from Central America and typification of two related names, Phytotaxa 579 (2), pp. 71-86 : 79-81

Carex via-aquae Jim.Mejías, Lois, Acedo & Reznicek , sp. nov. ( Figs. 9–11 )

= Carex lehmanniana var. simplex Kük. in H.G.A. Engler (ed.), Pflanzenr., 38 Heft, IV (20): 405 (1909). Lectotype (here designated): COSTA RICA, Province of Alajuela, Volcán Poás , 31 August 1890, Pittier 2981 (BR-849880 photo!) Fig. 12 .

Diagnosis: —This new species is similar to Carex lehmanniana Boott (1845: 256) , in which it was included as a variety to date. Carex viaaquae differs from C. lehmanniana by stem length, 15–30 cm long in C. via-aquae vs. 45–110 cm long in C. lehmanniana , number of spikes of the inflorescence, 5–12 in C. via-aquae vs 20–45 in C. lehmanniana , inflorescence length, 4–10 cm long in C. via-aquae vs 17–25 cm long in C. lehmanniana , female glume size, 3.0–4.1 × 0.7–1.1 mm in C. via-aquae vs. 4.6–5.5 × 1.1–1.3 mm in C. lehmanniana , and utricle size, 2.1–2.5 × 0.9–1.2 mm in C. via-aquae vs. 2.6–3.4 × 0.9–1.3 mm in C. lehmanniana .

Type:— COSTA RICA: Province of San José, northern slopes of Cerro Buena Vista to south of Interamerican Highway crossing, Cerro de la Muerte , 9°34’N 83°45’W, paramo vegetation, 3250–3450 m, 12 July 1994, W.J. Kress & N.W. Sawyer 94-4963 (Holotype: US 3318982 !) .

Rhizome short, glabrous. Stems 15–30 cm tall, 0.1–0.2 mm wide at the middle, smooth, trigonous, sides concave below the inflorescence, brownish at the base. Leaves with well-developed blades, the largest ones 26–53 cm × 2.0– 5.8 mm, shorter than the stems, linear, subcoriaceous, brownish at the base, W-folded, margin slightly revolute. Inflorescence racemose, dense, 4–10 cm long, with 5–12 androgynous spikes, spreading or dropping; lowermost bract 13.6–20.6 cm × 3.1–3.7 mm, subequal to the inflorescence, linear, subcoriaceous, W-folded, sheathless or with a short sheath <3 mm. Spikes 2.5–4.5(7) cm × 2–4 mm, tightly linear, densely flowered, the distal 1/6 segment staminate, with about 150–200 flowers per spike, peduncles smooth. Female glumes 3.0–4.1 × 0.7–1.1 mm, obovate to elliptic, dark brown to black, with a light green to hyaline middle longitudinal strip, with narrow hyaline margins 0.1–0.2 mm that usually do not reach the apex of the glume. Stigmas 2, light brownish. Utricles 2.1–2.5 × 0.9–1.2 mm, elliptic, brownish-red, smooth, contracted at the apex into a 0.5–0.8 mm long beak, scabrid, shortly bifid with 0.1–0.2 mm long teeth.Achenes 1.6–1.9 × 0.8–1 mm, ovate to elliptical, trigonous.

Habitat and distribution: —This species is distributed in Cordillera de Talamanca, mainly in Costa Rica and marginally in Panamá. It occurs in páramo vegetation on mountains, at altitudes above 3000 m.

Phenology: —Flowers and fruits were collected in July and early August.

Etymology:— This new species is named in honor of Prof. Marcia Waterway, who worked as curator at the McGill University Herbarium and is one of the most relevant researchers on the genus Carex . She has made tremendous contributions towards the current understanding of the systematics and evolution of the genus. The Latin words viaaquae literally translate as “way of water”, playing with the meaning of Marcia Waterway’s last name and the habitat of these plants.

Observations:— Previously considered conspecific to the northern South American Carex lehmanniana , C. via-aquae is a distinct and allopatric taxon endemic from southern Central America. Boott (1845: 256) described C. lehmanniana based on a few specimens collected in Ecuador (see typification below). Other specimens of C. lehmanniana that we have studied from South America ( Ecuador and Colombia) fit well to the characteristics in Boott’s description of C. lehmanniana . Carex lehmanniana and C. lehmanniana var. simplex Kükenthal (1909: 405) are lectotypified below.

The name Carex lehmanniana var. simplex was designed by Kükenthal as a new variety of C. lehmanniana Boott , differing from C. lehmanniana by shorter stems “Culmus nonnisi 45 cm altus gracilior”, by stems shorter than the leaves “Folia culmo breviora”, by fewer and shorter spikes “Spiculae 6–7 simplices 4–6 cm ”, and by narrower utricles “Utriculi paullo angustiores”. The characteristics and morphology of C. lehmanniana var. simplex matches with our description of the new species C. via-aquae . Also,both original collections of C. lehmanniana var. simplex were made in Costa Rica, matching part of the distribution of C. via-aquae . Because of that, we treated the name C. lehmanniana var. simplex as a synonym of C. via-aquae , following the ICN Art. 11.2 ( Turland et al., 2018) that asserts that a name has no priority outside the rank at which it is published.

Additional specimens examined (paratypes): — COSTA RICA: San José Province, Cerro de Buena Vista , frés du sommet, 3100 m, 19 January 1891, H . Pittier 3381 (BR-857814 photo! BR-857847 photo!, CAS-0001348 photo!) ; San José Province, northern slopes of Cerro Buena Vista, to South of Interamerican Highway crossing Cerro de la Muerte, 9°34’08’’N 83°45’09’’W, 3300 m, 9 July 1994, W. J . Kress & L. M . Kennedy 94-4346 (US-3311657!) ; Limón Province, Center of Truchicultura, Ojo de Agua , 2990 m, 18 July 1996, M . Kappelle (US-3623016!) ; Cartago Province, upper cinder cone of Volcán Irazú, 9°58’N 83°51’W, 3200 m, 1 August 1968 G . Davidse & R. W . Pohl 1166 (US-3028936!) ; Cartago Province, Steep raw roadcut 1 km SE of La Asunción of the Carretera Interamericana, 3300 m, 25 July 1976, R. L . Wilbur 21212 (DUKE-251796!) ; Cartago Province, large Páramo area near km 78 on the Carretera Interamericana in the Vicinity of Dos Amigos , 3000 m, 31 July 1981, R. L . Wilbur 32445 (DUKE-284089!) ; Cartago Province, large Páramo area near km 78 on the Carretera Interamericana in the Vicinity of Dos Amigos , 3000 m, 31 July 1981, R. L . Wilbur 32447 (DUKE-284091!) ; Cartago Province, partially devastated, ash-covered upper slope of Volcán Irazú, 3250 m, 7 August 1966, G . Davidse 847 ( NY!) ; San José Province, Cerro de la Muerta, Talamanca Range, high point along Pan American Highway, 3400 m, 8 August 1972, J. Taylor & C. Taylor 11723 ( NY!) ; PANAMÁ: Chiriqui Province, Boquete District , Chiriqui volcano, Potrero Muleto, 3170 m, 18 July 1938, M. E . Davidson 1044 (US-1820851!) ; Chiriqui Province, Volcán Barú , in bottom of 1st (highest crater), 2100–2200 m, 16 August 1983, R. J . Schmalzel et al. 1717 (MO-3320522!) ; Bocas del Toro Province, in area called Valle de Silencia , 2500 m, 8 August 1979, T . Antonio 1551 (MO-3030570!) ; Chiriqui Province, E side of Volcán Barú , on road from Boquete to near summit, Potrero Muletto, 3000 m, 24 July 1975, S . Mori & A . Bolten 7426, ( NY!) .

Figures

FIGURE 9. Holotype Carex via-aquae Jim.Mejías, Lois,Acedo &Reznicek preserved at the Smithsonian Institution - NationalMuseum of Natural History (US). Reproduced with permission (Available at http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/m35e060dc4-b233-4973-a2ad-dd2a4af94d0e).

FIGURE 10. Comparisons of diagnostic traits of glumes and utricules of Carex via-aquae Jim.Mejías, Lois, Acedo & Reznicek and C. lehmanniana. A–B. C. via-aquae (Costa Rica, Kress & Sawyer 94-4963, US3318982, holotype) A, utricle, B, female glume C–D. C. lehmanniana (Ecuador, Jorgensen et al. 1913, US4824173) C, utricle, D, female glume. Scale bar 1 mm (A–D).

FIGURE 11. Carex via-aquae Jim.Mejías, Lois, Acedo & Reznicek. Detail of the inflorescence (Costa Rica, Kress & Sawyer 94-4963, US3318982, holotype). Scale bar 1 cm.

FIGURE 12. Lectotype of Carex lehmanniana var. simplex Kük.preserved at the Meise Botanic Garden Herbarium (BR). Reproduced with permission. (Available at https://www.botanicalcollections.be/specimen/BR0000008498809).