Scleria pantadenia Meganck & Bauters, 2015

Bauters, Kenneth, Meganck, Kenny, Vollesen, Kaj, Goetghebeur, Paul & Larridon, Isabel, 2015, Scleria pantadenia and Scleria tricristata: Two new species of Scleria subgenus Hypoporum (Cyperaceae, Cyperoideae, Sclerieae) from Tanzania, Phytotaxa 227 (1), pp. 45-54 : 46-47

Scleria pantadenia Meganck & Bauters , sp. nov. ( Fig. 1 )

Small annual herb with delicate leaves, very small tuberculate nutlets with swollen cells forming a tuberculate rim at the base. Inflorescence with up to 20 glomerules always branched with branches up to 10 cm.

TYPE:— TANZANIA. Mpanda District: Uzondo Plateau, 1550 m elevation, 05°29’S 30°32’E, 16 April 2006, S. Bidgood, I. Darbyshire, K. Hoenselaar, G. Leliyo, G. Sanchez-Ken & K. Vollesen 5550 (Holotype NHT!, Isotype DSM!, EA!, K!, MO!).

Paratypes:— TANZANIA. Mpanda District : 10 km N of Uzondo Camp, 1550 m elevation, 05°25’S 30° 29’E, 13 March 2009, S. Bidgood, G. Leliyo & K. Vollesen 8133 ( DSM!, K!, MO!, NHT!, P!) ; Mpanda District : Uzondo Plateau, 1550 m elevation, 05°29’S 30°32’E, 3 May 2008, S. Bidgood, G. Leliyo & K. Vollesen 6643 (BR!, C!, CAS!, DSM!, ETH!, K!, MO!, NHT, P, UPS!, US!, WAG!) ; Mpanda District : 2 km S of Uzondo Camp, 1600 m elevation, 5°30’S 30°32’E, 11 March 2009, S. Bidgood, G. Leliyo & K. Vollesen 8105 ( DSM!, K!, NHT!) .

Small, decumbent or erect annual herb, single stemmed or in small tufts. Roots fibrous 0.1–0.2 mm across, rhizome absent. Culms 10–30 cm long and 0.5–1.0 mm thick at mid height, triangular and glabrous. Leaves tristichous, delicate and brittle, 5–35 cm long, 1.0–3.0 mm wide, glabrous; sheaths glabrous, reddish-brown. Inflorescence bracts 2–10 cm long; sheaths up to 10 cm, glabrous. Ligule absent and contraligule unpronounced. Inflorescence terminal, 3–10 cm long, glomerate-spicate, always branching, these branches up to 10 cm long. Glomerules up to 20, following a prophyll branching pattern, always erect, each with 2–6 spikelets; glomerule bract (0.9–) 1.5–4 mm long with small mucro of (0.3–) 0.5–3 mm long. Spikelets 2–3(–4) mm long, all androgynous; prophyll of the spikelet 0.5–1.1 mm long, often with additional spikelets in its axil. Glumes 6–9, pale to light castaneous with clear green midrib; lowest glume 1.7–2.6 mm long, 0.6 mm wide, empty, mucro 0.5–1.1 mm long; second glume 2.0– 2.4 mm long, 6.6 mm wide, female, mucro 1.9– 1.3 mm long; third glume 2.0– 2.6 mm long, 1.1 mm wide, male, mucro 0.2–0.5 mm long; higher glumes 3–5, spirally arranged, ca. 1.7 x 0.3 mm, all male; male glumes all bearing 2 stamens. Flowers unisexual; style trifid, dark brown coloured, ca. 2.5 mm of which branches ca. 0.9 mm; stamens 2, filaments ca. 1.5 mm, anthers ca. 0.8 mm. Nutlet 0.8–1.1 mm long and 0.7–0.9 mm broad ( Fig. 3A ), wide elliptic to almost globose, surface tuberculate ( Fig. 3B ); apex truncate, short and base trigonous; tubercules gland-like ca. 0.095 mm in diameter; with a small rim of tuberculate swollen cells at the base ( Fig. 3C ); hypogynium absent; in dried condition white to whitish-grey, often with three longitudinal darker bands, between paler, raised ribs.

Distribution and ecology:—Known only from the Uzondo Plateau in Mpanda District in West Central Tanzania. Annual growing in small wet shady ledges and seepage areas on large rocky sandstone outcrops, at ca. 1550 m elevation.

Etymology:—The specific epithet pantadenia refers to the many glands all over the surface of the fruit.

Phenology:—Flowering has been observed in the field in March and April (seasonal rain).

Conservation status:—Following the IUCN Red List Criteria and Categories ( IUCN 2012), Scleria pantadenia should be considered as “Endangered” ( EN) following the AOO criterion in GeoCAT ( Bachman et al. 2011).

Additional specimens examined (related species):— Scleria pergracilis ( Nees 1834: 267) Kunth (1837: 354)

ANGOLA. Prov. da Huila, im bush bei der mission Cubango , 15 February 1952, H. & E. Hess 52/700 ( GENT) ; Prov. da Huila, 3 km westlich der Mission Galangue, am Ufer des Rio Cuangue, 18 February 1952, H. & E. Hess 52/752 ( GENT). BURKINA FASO. Yenderé-Ouangolodougou ca. km 8, 275 m elevation, 04°55’W 10°10’N, 19 October 2000, S. Laegaard 21176 ( GENT) ; Boulgou , some km SE of Tenkodogo, 300 m elevation, 00°18’W 11°44’N, 10 April 1996, J.E. Madsen 5978 ( GENT) ; Boulgou , some KM SE of Tenkodogo, 00°20’W 11°41’N, 300 m elevation, 26 October 1996, J.E. Madsen 6197 ( GENT). BURUNDI. Ruyigi, Nyakazu, steppe rocheuse, 2000 m elevation, 3 April 1972, M. Reekmans 1881 ( MO). DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC CONGO. Haut-Shaba, contrefort des Kundelungu, audessus de Gobella, Lieu marécageux au bord de la route, 1080 m elevation, 19 April 1971, S. Lisowski 11184 ( GENT) ; Kinshasa, Haut-Katanga, 50 km au NE de Lubumbashi, au bord de la rivière Luiswishi , 4 November 1969, S. Lisowski, F. Malaisse, J.-J. Symoens 442 ( GENT) ; IVORY COAST. Quellmoa , südl. von Karpin, Franiffelsplateau, 250 m elevation, 8°3’N 3°4’W, 17 September 1991, S. Porembski 595 ( GENT) ; Comoe-National Park, 170 m elevation, 8°7’N 3°5’W, 12 January 1991, S. Porembski 615 ( GENT). LIBERIA. Central Province: Gbarnga District, outcrop 3 miles east of Palilah, 20 August 1947, J.T. Baldwin Jr. 9152 ( MO). SENEGAL. Basse Casamace Tobor, prairie humide, 6 m elevation, 15 November 1978, C. Vanden Berghen 3170 ( GENT). TOGO. Région Savanes Mango , 6 km N de Mango, 125 m elevation, 0°22’E 10°25’N, 20 November 1983, P.A. Schafer 7911 ( MO). ZAMBIA. Northern Province, 5 km SE of Fat hill, 11 March 1961, E.A. Robinson 4441 ( MO) ; Kasama, Chishimba Falls , 2 April 1961, E.A. Robinson 4565 ( MO) ; Kasama, Chishimba Falls, 02 April 1961, E.A. Robinson 4585 ( NY).— Scleria pulchella Ridley (1884: 168) . ANGOLA. Prov. da Huila, Plateau des Kibara 800 m östlich von Humpata, Abhang gegen den Nenfluss, 1850 m elevation, 15 Mai 1952, H. & E. Hess 52/1745 ( GENT) ; Prov. da Huila, Humpala, 1900 m elevation, 6 Mai 1937, Gossweiler 11089 ( COI). CONGO. Katanga , env. de Lusinga, 1800 m elevation, 14 April 1969, S. Lisowski, F. Malaisse, J.-J. Symoens 5002 ( GENT). MALAWI. Sothern Region , Zomba District, Zomba Plateau , west side, by stream north of summit, 1830 m elevation, 4 Mai 1970, R.K. Brummitt & E.A. Banda 10351 (K). TANZANIA. Sumbawanga District , Tatanda , 8°29’S 31°30’E, 1650 m elevation, 25 April 2006, S. Bidgood et al. 5693 ( MO). ZAMBIA. Nyika Plateau, near Rest House, 2250 m elevation, 15 March 1961, E.A. Robinson 4527 ( NY). ZAMBIA. Mutinondo Wilderness Area , inserberg near falls, 12°27.06’S 31°17.38’E, 1460 m elevation, 7 April 2003, Paul Smith & Clement Chishala 1844 ( GENT, K) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Scleria pantadenia.—A. Habit.—B.Glomerule with several spikelets.—C.Nutlet.—D.Schematic overview of a glomerule.— E. Diagram of glomerule with detail of spikelet diagram. From the type specimen S. Bidgood et al. 5550 (MO). Br = gomerula bract; g = glume; p = prophyll; x = represents two stamens.

FIGURE 3. SEM micrographs.—Scleria pantadenia (S. Bidgood et al. 5550 (MO)).—A. Nutlet.—B. Detail of nutlet surface.—C. Detail of basal tubercules.—Scleria pergracilis (E.A. Robinson 4585 (NY)).—D. Nutlet.—Scleria tricristata (S. Bidgood et al. 6083 (MO)).—E. Nutlet.—Scleria delicatula (E.A. Robinson 4555 (NY)).—F. Nutlet.