Carex borealifujianica Y.F. Lu & X.F. Jin, 2022

Lu, Yi-Fei, Jin, Xiao-Feng & Yu, Ming-Jian, 2022, Carex borealifujianica (Cyperaceae), a new species of the core Carex clade from Fujian, southeastern China, PLoS ONE (e 0264419) 17 (3), pp. 1-18 : 9-11

Carex borealifujianica Y.F. Lu & X.F. Jin , sp. nov.

[urn:lsid:ipni.org:names: 77254902–1]. ( Figs 2 and 5 )

Type. CHINA. Fujian Province: Wuyishan City, Mount Wuyi, Shuiliandong , near Huiyuan Temple, roadside under forest, alt. 320 m, 27˚40 0 38.18 00 N, 117˚57 0 14.32 00 E 24 May 2018, X.F. Jin & Y.F. Lu 4176 (holotype: ZM; isotypes: HTC, PE, ZM) .

Haec species nova C. ligulatae Nees affinis est, sed foliis 2.5–5 mm latis, vaginis foliis sparse pilosis, spicis staminatis 2 vel 3, anguste clavatis, acheniis apice emarginatis differt.

Herbaceous perennial. Rhizome woody, creeping or obliquely ascending, with many brown, fibrous adventitious roots. Culms loosely caespitose, 35–80 cm tall, acutely trigonous, slender to thick, upper parts scabrous, base with pale brown to dark brown bladeless sheaths. Leaves cauline, shorter than culms, 2.5–5 mm wide, flat, scabrous on both surfaces; sheaths not overlapping, 5–10 cm long, sparsely pubescent on the surface, but densely on the angles. Bracts leaf-like; lowermost 2 or 3 bracts shorter than inflorescence, with a 7–23 mm long sheathing base; upper ones longer or equaling the inflorescence, with a 3–5 mm long sheathing base or sheathless. Spikes 4–8, sparse in the base of the inflorescence, aggregated in the apex of the inflorescence; terminal staminate spikes 3 (rarely 2), narrowly clavate, 4–15 mm long, 1–1.5 mm wide; others pistillate, cylindrical, 1–3.6 cm long, 3.8–4.2 mm wide, ± densely flowered; lower peduncles extending to the apex of the bract sheaths, the upper ones enclosed. Staminate scales elliptic, yellowish brown, 4.5–5.5 mm long, apex obtuse, with yellow 1-veined costa excurrent into a 0.5–0.7 mm long scabrous awn. Pistillate scales ovate, pale brown to pale yellow, 2.5–2.8 mm long, apex mucronate, with green 3-veined costa. Utricles nearly erect or slightly patent, obovoid, obtusely trigonous, pale brownish green, longer than pistillate scales, 3.8–4.2 mm long, densely whitish hispidulous, lower part with 7 or 8 veins, base attenuate and short-stipitate, apex abruptly contracted into a 1–1.5 mm long erect beak, orifice with 2 short teeth. Achenes tightly enveloped by utricles, obovoid, trigonous, brown, 1.8–2.2 mm long, base short-stipitate, apex emarginate; style erect, base slightly thickened; stigmas 3.

Etymology. The specific epithet ‘borealifujianica’ refers to the type locality of this new species, Mount Wuyi, located in North Fujian Province.

Phenology. Flowering and fruiting from early May to mid-June.

Distribution and habitat. Carex borealifujianica is known only from the type locality ( Fig 6 ). It grows on slopes, under forests or by streams at 220–320 m a.s.l.

Additional specimens examined. China. Fujian Province: Wuyishan City, Mount Wuyishan, Dawangfeng , on slope, alt. 220 m, 27˚40 0 56.23 00 ’N, 117˚58 0 32.05 00 E, 23 May 2018, X.F. Jin & Y.F. Lu 4159 (HTC, ZM), 4160 (KUN, PE, ZM), 4161 (KUN, PE, ZM); the same locality, under forest, alt. 247 m, Y.F. Lu 177 (KUN, ZM), 178 (HTC, KUN, ZM), 179 (KUN, PE, ZM).

Conservation status: Vulnerable, VU B2ab(iii) (IUCN 2012). The occupancy of Carex borealifujianica is known to be less than 2000 km 2, and it is distributed in no more than 10 locations. The quality of the habitat is continuously declining due to the disturbance caused by local tea plantation and tourism [ 53].

Figures

Fig 2. Scanning electron micrographs of the utricle micromorphology of seven species in Carex sect. Occlusae. A, E, Carex borealifujianica; B, G, C. ligulata; C. C. hebecarpa; D, F, H, C. maubertiana; I, L, C. polycephala; J, M, O, C. poculisquama; K, N, P, C. pseudoligulata. A–D, I–K, overview and shape (scale bar = 1 mm); E, F, L–N, surface indumentum (scale bar = 100 μm); G, H, O, P, beak (scale bar = 100 μm). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0264419.g002

Fig 5. Carex borealifujianica. A, habit; B, indumentum on leaf sheath; C, staminate scale; D, pistillate scale; E, utricle; F, achene. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0264419.g005

Fig 6. Distribution map of Carex borealifujianica, C. hebecarpa and C. ligulata. (Map source: https://www.webmap.cn/main.do?method=index; the distribution information is from collection notes of the specimens stored in ANUB, CDBI, HHBG, HNWP, HTC, IBK, KUN, LBG, NAS, PE, SZ, WUK and ZM). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0264419.g006