Machaerina rubiginosa (Biehler) T.Koyama, Bot. Mag. (Tokyo) 69(812): 65. 1956.

Bhandari, Prabin, Chaudhary, Satyam, Neupane, Ajay, Zhou, Shi-Liang & Zhang, Shu-Ren, 2021, Taxonomic notes on Cyperaceae of Nepal: new records of a genus, six species and other noteworthy species, PhytoKeys 180, pp. 141-156 : 141

Machaerina rubiginosa (Biehler) T.Koyama, Bot. Mag. (Tokyo) 69(812): 65. 1956.

Fuirena rubiginosa Biehler, Pl. Nov. Herb. Spreng. 3. 1807.

Type.

New Zealand, Forster s.n. [lectotype, designated by Garnock-Jones 1986, pg. 125: K (K000883942 image!)].

Description.

Plant rhizomatous. Culms tufted, compressed to subterete, 0.7-1.2 m tall. Leaves shorter than or equalling the culm, blade biconvex with obtuse edges, apex acute. Inflorescence paniculate, laxly arranged. Spikelets ovoid, with two flowers. Glumes lanceolate, 5-6 × 2.5-3 mm, brownish, mid-vein keeled, lower part greenish, margin ciliate, apex acuminate. Style base densely sericeous. Style short, to 1.5 mm. Stigmas 3, to 6 mm long. Stamens 3, longer than achene. Anther 2.5 mm long. Achene trigonous, ellipsoid, yellowish-orange, shiny, 4-5 × 1.5-1.8 mm. (Fig. 2H ).

Nepali name.

Gudh

Use.

Culm is collected to weave handmade mats (locally called ‘gundri’).

Distribution.

Nepal (new record), India, China, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, New Guinea and Australia.

Ecology.

Grows in the floating island and marshy areas; 762 m elev.

Phenology.

Flowering in July-September; fruiting in December-January.

Specimen examined.

Nepal, Kaski: Pokhara Valley, Gunde Lake, 28°11'30.29"N, 84°2'21.58"E, 762 m elev., 09 Dec 2020, P. Bhandari & V. Thapa 20120913 (KATH, TUCH).

Note.

This is the first report of this genus in Nepal. The genus Machaerina shows morphological similarities to the genera Cladium and Rhynchospora . Cladium is differentiated by its solid stem and ellipsoid achene lacking disc. Machaerina is differentiated from Rhynchospora by its leaf characters; the leaves in Machaerina are distichously arranged, whereas in Rhynchospora , they are tristichously arranged.

Figures

Figure 2. Achene A Eleocharis ochrostachys B Fimbristylis acuminata C F. ferruginea D F. nutans E F. salbundia F F. thomsonii G Fuirena umbellata H Machaerina rubiginosa I Scleria rugosa.