Carex firmula subsp. tenuis (Poepp. ex Kunth) Jim.

Ridley, Rhonda & Jimenez-Mejias, Pedro, 2022, Incipient insular differentiation of Carex firmula (Cyperaceae, former genus Uncinia) in the Juan Fernández archipelago (Chile), Phytotaxa 533 (5), pp. 267-286 : 279-281

1b. Carex firmula subsp. tenuis (Poepp. ex Kunth) Jim. -Mejías & R.Ridley, comb. et stat. nov. ( Figure 4 )

≡ Uncinia tenuis Poepp. ex Kunth, Enum. Pl. 2: 525 (1837) [basionym].

Lectotype (designated by Wheeler and Goetghebeur, 1997): ― CHILE, Antuco, Valle de Quilai-Leuvu , II-1827 -29, Poeppig 243 ( BM; iso- HAL-0109859 digital image!)

= Uncinia gracilis Decne. in J.S.C.Dumont d’Urville, Voy. Pôle Sud, Atlas: t. 6, f. B (1843).

Holotype: Dumont d’Urville (1843): t. 6, f. B. Epitype (here designated): ― CHILE: Detroit de Magellan , 1841 Hombron s.n. (P-00277462 digital image!; iso- P-00277463 digital image!).

Perennials, with rhizomes short to long-creeping. Stems, erect, 9.5–34.5 cm tall, 0.4–1.1 mm in diameter near middle, smooth. Leaves, flat, linear, 5–10 on each flowering shoot, shorter than to slightly longer than the culms, (0.7–) 1.5–3.5 mm wide, gradually tapering to a scabrous attenuate tip; basal sheaths brown. Spike, solitary, androgynous densely flowered, linear to linear-cylindrical, 2.3–6.2 cm long, 1.6–3.8 mm wide, the short staminate part 4–10.7 mm long. Pistillate glumes deciduous, membranous, lanceolate, glabrous, slightly shorter than utricles, 1.8–3.5 mm long, 0.7– 1.3 mm wide, apex acute, with a greenish middle strip and margins broadly hyaline, sometimes brown-tinged toward apex, 1 veined; persistent saccate stipe-like structure 0.4–1.1 mm long. Utricle 2.5–4.8mm, 0.6–1.3 mm wide; rachilla with an exserted length of 2.3–4 mm long, the apical hook 0.9–1.8 mm. Nutlets 2–2.6 mm long, 0.6–1.1 mm wide, oblong-obovoid.

Distribution:—From Tierra del Fuego and Patagonia, through the Andes north to Colombia, apparently disjunctly distributed across Central America and Mexico (Govaerts et al., 2019).

Notes: The World Checklist of Cyperaceae (Govaerts et al., 2019) included the Falkland Islands in the distribution of Carex firmula on the basis of a report in a manual of Costa Rican plants ( Hammel et al., 2003) we found no specimens for this species from the Falkland Islands. Indeed, Flora del Cono Sur (Flora del Cono Sur, 2019+) does not account that species for the Atlantic archipelago. The closest records for C. firmula seems to be at the eastern most limit of Tierra del Fuego ( Isla de los Estados; Wheeler, 1994). Further investigation is required to confirm if C. firmula is found on the Falkland Islands.

Ecology:—Montane rainforest or thickets, on moist soil; 3000–4000 m elevation in tropical latitudes, down to sea level in Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego ( Wheeler, 1994, 1996, Wheeler and Goetghebeur, 1996).

Figures

FIGURE 4. Carex firmula subsp. firmula from Juan Fernández (O. T. Solbrig 3741 US): inflorescence (A) and utricles (B). Carex firmula subsp. tenuis from mainland South America S. Laegaard 101173 US): inflorescence (C) and utricles (D).