Ficinia pygmaea Boeckeler, Linnaea

Muasya, A. M., Stirton, C. H. & Archer, C., 2020, Ficinia pygmaea is not conspecific with F. limosa, and a description of a new species of Ficinia (Cyperaceae) from South Africa, South African Journal of Botany 128, pp. 128-131 : 129

2. Ficinia pygmaea Boeckeler, Linnaea 37(1): 82 (1871).

Type: South Africa: Western Cape, Clanwilliam (3218): Lange Vallei (— BC), 19 Jul 1830, Drege 2464 (K, hol.!; CGE!, P! [3 sheets], iso.)

Chamaexiphium dregeanum Steud., Syn. Pl. Glumac. 2: 59 (1854); Melancranis dregeana (Steud.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 756 (1891); Ficinia dregeana (Steud.) H.Pfeiff., Revis. Ficinia : 45 (1921), nom. illeg. Type: South Africa: Western Cape, Clanwilliam (3218): Lange Vallei (— BC), 19 Jul 1830, Drege 2464 (K, hol.!; CGE!, P! [3 sheets], iso.).

Perennial, caespitose; rhizome well developed, 2.7 — 3.6 mm diameter. Culms 20 — 48 mm tall, 0.8 — 1.4 mm thick, but 2.5 — 3.6 mm thick across the rim of the leaf sheath, glabrous. Leaf sheaths to 5 mm long, glabrous, not papery, creamish, ligule absent. Leaf blades well developed, longer than peduncle, 20 — 40 mm long, glabrous, flattened to canaliculated, not terminating in a sharply-pointed apex. Involucral bracts 2 — 4, channelled and base partially sheathing spikelets, 10.6 — 12.1 mm long, margins glabrous. In fl orescences capitate, 8.6 — 10.8 X 13.8 — 4.3 mm, each with 5 — 7 spikelets. Spikelets terete, yellowish green, under 10 florets. Glumes 8.4 — 9.6 mm long, boat-shaped with a mucro 0.5 — 0.9 mm long; margins entire. Style trifid. Stamens 3, anthers 3.9 — 4.5 mm long, connective crested. Nutlets to 2.6 mm long, dark brown, smooth to minutely papillose; hypogynous disk to 1.3 mm long, cupular, no obvious lobes.

Etymology: The specific epithet pygmaea alludes to the reduced height of the plant.

Diagnostic characters: Ficinia pygmaea is diagnosed by its welldeveloped rhizomes, peduncles appearing clandestine among the leaves; Table 1.

Distribution and ecology: Ficinia pygmaea is currently known from the type locality, 300 — 500 m, at Lange Vallei ( Fig. 2 ).

Conservation status: Ficinia pygmaea has not been recollected over the last 190 years. The taxonomic conflation with F. limosa may have, unfortunately, detracted effort to recollect it. Given that the West Coast areas near its location have been extensively converted into agricultural land, we fear that this taxon may be probably extinct, but assess it to be Data Deficient (Insufficient Information, DDD) pending further field study.

Figures

Fig. 2. Distribution of species allied to Ficinia pygmaea.