Carex scopulus X. F. Jin & W. J. Chen, 2015

Jin, Xiao-Feng, Chen, Wei-Jie & Cen, Jia-Meng, 2015, Notes on Carex (Cyperaceae) from China (III): the description of four new species, Phytotaxa 231 (2), pp. 165-174 : 165-167

1. Carex scopulus X. F. Jin & W. J. Chen , sp. nov. ( Figure 1 )

Species nova est proxima C. chungii Z. P. Wang , a qua squamis pistillatis pallide rubro-brunneis, apice acuminatis, perigyniis glabris, squamis staminatis rubro-brunneis differt.

Type: ― CHINA. Zhejiang Province: Wencheng County, Mt. Tongling, in the scenic spot of Tonglingshan National Forestry Park, on cliffs, elevation 750 m, 16 April 2014, W. J. Chen, X. H. Xiong, W. W. Yang & X. F. Jin 370 (holotype HTC!, isotype HTC & ZM!).

Perennial herbs. Rhizomes short, ligneous, stiff. Culms caespitose, 30–60 cm tall, obtusely trigonous, glabrous, scabrous on upper margins, with many grayish brown sheaths at base. Leaves longer than culms, or nearly equal in length; blades 2–5.5 mm wide, scabrous on dorsal surfaces. Involucral bracts foliaceous, or upper ones setaceous, shorter than inflorescence, sheathing the culms; sheaths 10–40 mm long, with the most proximal one longer than the others. Spikes 3 or 4; terminal spike staminate, clavate, 5–6 cm long, 3–6 mm wide, with a long peduncle at base; lateral spikes pistillate, cylindrical, 2.5–4.5 cm long, 4–5.5 mm wide, densely flowered, sometimes branched at base, with a few staminate flowers at the top. Staminate scales lanceolate, 8–8.5 mm long, yellowish brown, acute at apex, with costa green, 3-veined. Pistillate scales ovate, 2.5–3 mm long, acuminate at apex, laterally brown, with costa green, 3-veined. Perigynia nearly equaling pistillate scales (including beak), obovoid (excluding beak), obtusely trigonous, ca. 3 mm long (including beak), green, glabrous, thinly veined, attenuate and shortly stipitate at base, gradually contracted into a ca. 0.7 mm long beak at apex; orifice 2-lobed with minute teeth. Achenes loosely enveloped, obovoid, trigonous, yellowish brown, 2–2.5 mm long, with angles constricted at the middle and surfaces excavated both above and below the middle, discoid-annulate at apex; styles thickened at base; stigmas 3.

Distribution and Habitat: —Endemic to China. The new species is known only from Tonglingshan National Forestry Park, Wencheng County of southern Zhejiang Province. It grows on cliffs or along roadsides at 680–980 m elevation.

Phenology: —Flowers and fruits of Carex scopulus were collected from April to early May.

Etymology: —The specific epithet refers to cliffs, the habitat of the species.

Additional collections (paratypes): ― CHINA. Zhejiang Province: Wencheng County, Mt. Tongling, in the scenic spot of Tonglingshan National Forestry Park , on cliffs, elevation 680 m, 16 April 2014, W. J. Chen, X. H. Xiong, W. W. Yang & X. F. Jin 371, 372 ( HTC!, ZM!) ; the same locality, parking lot of Tonglingshan National Forestry Park , roadside, elevation 980 m, 7 May 2014, W. J. Chen & H. Wang s. n. ( HTC!) .

Similar species: — Carex scopulus belongs to C. sect. Mitratae Kükenthal (1909: 458) , characterized by having achenes constricted into an annulate disc at apex. The morphology is similar C. chungii Z. P. Wang (1962: 44) in having achenes with angles constricted at the middle, but differs in having pistillate scales pale reddish brown, acuminate at apex, staminate scales reddish brown, and perigynia glabrous. In Carex chungii , the pistillate scales are pale green, long-awned at apex, staminate scales pale brown and perigynia sparsely pubescent.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Carex scopulus X. F. Jin & W. J. Chen, sp. nov. (A) habit; (B) staminate scale; (C) pistillate scale; (D) perigynium; (E) achene (drawn by Xiao-Feng Jin from holotype in HTC).