Carex delavayi Franchet (1895: 29)

Jin, Xiao-Feng, Cen, Jia-Meng, Hahn, Marlene, Lu, Yi-Fei & He, Jin-Jing, 2015, Notes on Carex (Cyperaceae) from China (II): a taxonomic revision of sect. Radicales (Kük.) Nelmes, Phytotaxa 217 (2), pp. 117-132 : 125-126

(5) Carex delavayi Franchet (1895: 29) . Type :— CHINA. Yunnan: Da-pin-tze, 14 Jul 1889, J. M. Delavay 1739 (holotype, P!; isotype, E!) ( Figure 3 : L, M) .

Perennial herbs. Rhizomes ligneous, long and obliquely ascending. Culms loosely caespitose, 10–30 cm tall, acutely trigonous, slightly stiff, scabrous on upper parts, with dark brown and persistent sheaths at base. Leaves longer than culms; blades 3–5 mm wide, flat, scabrous on upper surfaces. Involucral bracts leaf-like, shorter than inflorescence, shortly sheathed. Spike single, sometimes 2 or 3; lateral spikes exerted from middle or lower part of culm; (terminal) spike ovoid, 8–20 mm long, 6–10 mm wide; staminate part of spike longer than pistillate part, densely flowered, pistillate part sparsely 3–10 flowered. Staminate scales ovate or broadly-ovate, ca. 4 mm long, greenish yellow, acute at apex, green 3-veined costa. Pistillate scales ovate or broadly ovate, greenish white, ca. 4 mm long, acute at apex (lower scales long, scabrous, awned at apex), green 3-veined costa. Perigynia slightly longer than pistillate scales, ca. 5 mm long, ellipsoid, compressed trigonous, brownish green, patent, glabrous, 2-veined laterally and thinly veined, attenuate at base, ciliate at margins, contracted into a short beak at apex; orifice 2-lobed with short teeth. Achenes broadly ovoid, trigonous, yellowish brown at maturity, ca. 3.5 mm long, shortly stipitate at base; style slightly thickened at base, conic; stigmas 3.

Additional specimens examined:— CHINA. Yunnan: Weixi, Lidiping, anonymous 86 (PE). Zhongdian, Qinghai-Tibet Exped. 59 (PE), Z. X. Tang & al. 695 (PE), anonymous 48 (PE).

Note:— Carex delavayi can be distinguished from other species in sect. Radicles because it frequently has a solitary, ovoid spike where the staminate part of spike is conspicuous and longer than the pistillate part. The lower pistillate scales are long-awned at the apex.

Figures

FIGURE 3.A–E: Carex chlorocephalula F.T.Wang & Tang ex P.C. Li. (A) habit; (B) staminate scales; (C) pistillate scale; (D) perigynium; (E) achene. F–K: Carex radicalis Boott. (F) habit; (G) spike; (H) staminate scales; (I) pistillate scale; (J) perigynium; (K) achene. L, M: Carex delavayi Franch. (L) spike; (M) perigynium. (A–E drawn from M. Chen 2836 in PE, F–K from J. D. Hooker s. n. in BM, L, M from J. M. Delavay 1739 in P; drawn by Xiao-Feng Jin).