Bulbostylis medusae (Cyperaceae), a New Species from Venezuela Ana Paula Prata Universidade Federal de Sergipe, Departamento de Biologia, Campus Universitário Professor Aloı́sio de Campos, 49100-000, São Cristóvão, Sergipe, Brazil. apprata@yahoo.com.br Konraed Camelbeke Arboretum Wespelaar vzw, De Costerstraat 37, B-3150 Haacht-Wespelaar, Belgium. arboretum.wespelaar@skynet.be Marc Reynders* Ghent University, Department of Biology, Research Group Spermatophytes, K. L. Ledeganckstraat 35, B-9000 Gent, Belgium. Marc.Reynders@UGent.be. *Corresponding author. Irene Carolina Fedón Fundación Instituto Botánico de Venezuela, Curadora de Monocotiledóneas del Herbario Nacional de Venezuela (VEN), Apartado 2156, Caracas 1010-A, Venezuela. ircafe@cantv.net Paul Goetghebeur Ghent University, Department of Biology, Research Group Spermatophytes, K. L. Ledeganckstraat 35, B-9000 Gent, Belgium. Paul.Goetghebeur@UGent.be Otto Huber CoroLab Humboldt, Centro Internacional de Ecologı́a Tropical/Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientı́ficas (CIET/IVIC), Apartado 21 827, Caracas 1020-A, Venezuela. ohuber@mac.com ABSTRACT . Bulbostylis medusae Prata, Reynders & Goetghebeur from Venezuela is fully described and illustrated. This species differs from all other South American Bulbostylis Kunth species by the combination of long-ciliated leaf sheaths, leaf apices, bracts, and spikelet axes. The new species resembles B. sellowiana (Kunth) Palla, and a comparison of the two species is made. Key words: Cyperaceae, Bulbostylis, Venezuela. During a study of Cyperaceae specimens from Venezuela, our attention was caught by a beautiful specimen of Bulbostylis Kunth. It was collected by A. Gröger during the preparation of a Florula de Las Lajas–Venezuela within the framework of the research project ‘‘Vegetation and ecogeographical differentiation of tropical Inselbergs’’ (Barthlott et al., 1993). Efforts to identify this specimen using treatments of Cyperaceae for Venezuela, e.g., Schnee (1943), and published keys for Bulbostylis in the surrounding regions were unsatisfactory. Since then it has remained unpublished and was designated by Kral (1998: 511) as ‘‘Bulbostylis sp. A’’ in the treatment of Cyperaceae for the Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana. Bulbostylis is a Pantropical genus that comprises about 200 species. The highest concentration of Bulbostylis spp. can be found in Africa and South America. Diagnostic characters are the setaceous leaves, the pilose orifice of the leaf sheath, and the generally bulbous style base. Most species also have a fruit wall with vertically elongated cells. Bulbostylis medusae Prata, Reynders & Goetghebeur, sp. nov. TYPE: Venezuela. Amazonas: mpio. Atures, carr. Pto. Ayacucho hacia El Burro, Km 28, 6 km en la desviación hacia el Este, Raudal del Agua Linda, 5u489N, 67u269W, rooted in clefts on granite soil, 14 May 1993, A. Gröger 913 (holotype, VEN; isotypes, GENT, TFAV). Figures 1, 2. Herba perennis, 30–60 cm alta; basis circumcincta vaginis foliorum pallide castaneis, numerosis pilis albis mixtis; radices crassae; culmi caespitosi, teretes. Folia 1/3– NOVON 17: 67–71. PUBLISHED ON 23 APRIL 2007. 68 Novon Figure 1. Bulbostylis medusae Prata, Reynders & Goetghebeur. —A. Habit. —B. Inflorescence. —C. Fruit, from above. — D. Fruit. —E. Lower glume. —F. Upper glume. —G. Hair from base of glumes. —H. Leaf tip with bunch of hairs. —I. Leaf tip of B. sellowiana (Kunth) Palla. Drawn by Marc Reynders: A–H from the holotype Gröger 913 (GENT); I from Furlan, Guilietti, Harley, Wanderley & Varanda 4569 (GENT). 1/2 culmi aequilonga, vaginae longitudinale costatae, papyraceae, apice obliquo, laminae setaceae, recurvatae, 11–22 6 0.03 cm, pagina superiore concava, pagina inferiore convexa, scabra praecipue secus margines atque nervum centralem. Inflorescentia capitata; spiculae 3 ad 7, ovatae, 11 ad 15 florae; bracteae involucrales 3 ad 7, glumiformes; glumae 3–4 6 1.3–1.5 mm, ciliatae. Achenium cordiforme, 0.7–1.5 mm longum, valde trilobatum, Volume 17, Number 1 2007 Prata et al. Bulbostylis medusae from Venezuela 69 Figure 2. Bulbostylis medusae Prata, Reynders & Goetghebeur. —A. Spikelet with long-septate hairs between the glumes. —B. SEM micrograph of fruit. —C. SEM micrograph detail of fruit wall. A–C from the holotype Gröger 913 (GENT); A drawn by K. Camelbeke. faciebus valde transversim undulato-rugosis, bulbo stylino atrocastaneo, deciduo. Perennial, caespitose herb, 30–60 cm tall, the base pale brown, obscured by the white pubescence of the lower leaf sheaths, roots thick (Fig. 1A); culm 0.6– 1.2 mm thick, terete, longitudinally ribbed, grayish green to yellowish brown toward the base, densely puberulent or scabrid immediately below inflorescence, sometimes also in upper 20 cm, otherwise glabrous. Leaves 11–22 6 0.03 cm, 1/3–1/2 length of culm; leaf blades setaceous, recurved, curling and involute in dried state, scabrous mainly along the margins and central nerve, the apex rounded with a fascicle of short stiff hairs (Fig. 1H), adaxial face concave, smooth, abaxial face convex, canaliculate; sheaths 1–1.5 cm, papyraceous, apex oblique, abaxial face longitudinally ribbed, densely lanose with tufts of white hairs 0.5–1 cm, upper leaves with membranaceous sheaths surrounding the stem, with many long white hairs at their apex. Inflorescence 1–1.5 6 1.3– 2 cm, capitate with 3 to 7 sessile spikelets (Fig. 1B); involucral bracts 3 to 7, suberect, glume-like, widened at the base, surface puberulent, papillose, the lowermost bract 1–1.7 cm, slightly overtopping the inflorescence, the others gradually smaller, margin lacerate, fimbriate, with white hairs 0.3–0.5 cm; spikelets 10–15 6 3–4 mm, narrowly ovoid, acute, 11 to 15 flowers, rachilla internodes with tufts of white septate hairs, 0.5 cm (Figs. 1G, 2A); glumes persistent, 3–4 6 1.3–1.5 mm, lanceolate, light brown, papyraceous, midrib 3-nerved, not excurrent, surface ciliolate, papillose, acute, margin lacerate, ciliate (Fig. 1E, F). Flowers bisexual; stamens 3, anthers 0.5–0.8 mm, linear; style trifid, 2 mm, branches 0.6 mm, style base early deciduous, narrowly thickened, ca. 0.5 mm long. Achene 0.7–1.5 6 0.6–1 mm, trigonous cordiform, broadly 3-lobed (Figs. 1C, 2B), narrowed at base (Fig. 1D), ribs thickened, surface transversely rugose and finely longitudinally striate (Fig. 2C), silica bodies present mainly along the ribs, 70 Novon Table 1. Morphological differences between Bulbostylis medusae and B. sellowiana. The character description of B. medusae is based on A. Gröger 913 (GENT) and that of B. sellowiana on Furlan, Guilietti, Harley, Wanderley & Varanda 4569 (GENT) and Wettstein & Schiffner s.n. (WU). B. medusae B. sellowiana Plant base with white hairs Leaf blade recurved apex rounded with a fascicle of short, stiff, white hairs (Fig. 1H) strictly erect conspicuously narrowed, always glabrous (Fig. 1I) Achene shape apex base suborbicular-obovoid slightly trigonous slightly attenuate cordiform strongly trigonous conspicuously attenuate brown to dark brown at maturity; pyramidal, ca. 1/4 length of achene. Distribution and habitat. The species described here grows in savannas of Trachypogon Nees in oligotrophic sandy soil with dispersed ferrous conglomerates, on granitic outcrops next to Utricularia L. The climate in the area is biseasonal with a dry season from December to February and rainy season from March to November, and with maximum rainfall in July. The average precipitation is 2345.97 mm per year, and the average temperature is 26.53uC. The Amazonas state is located in the Guyana–Brazilian Shield region, which is composed mostly of metamorphic and granitic igneous rock considered to be from the Precambrian period (MARNR, 1983; Blancaneaux & Pouyllau, 1977). Numerous papers have been written about the generic delimitation of Abildgaardia Vahl, Bulbostylis, and Fimbristylis Vahl (e.g., Lye, 1971; Goetghebeur & Coudijzer, 1985). Herein we recognize these three genera as separate; the new species described can be identified as Bulbostylis. Important diagnostic characters for the genus were provided at the beginning of this paper. The new species can be included in Section III of Clarke (1908) based on the presence of a 3-fid style and an inflorescence consisting of one head. In the classification of Osten (1931), the species should be included in the section Umbellatae. Bulbostylis medusae is most similar to B. sellowiana (Kunth) Palla (Kunth, 1837: 208; Nees, 1842: 27, 89; Böckeler, 1870: 748; Lindman, 1900: 17; Palla, 1908: 179) by its habit and the structure of the inflorescence. Bulbostylis medusae differs, however, by the white hairs surrounding the base of the plant, the recurved leaf blades, the rounded apex of the leaves with a fascicle of short stiff hairs, and the cordiform fruit with trilobed apex. A comparison of B. medusae and B. sellowiana is made in Table 1. The stem base of B. medusae is densely covered by tufts of long white with orange to reddish hairs hairs from the abaxial face of the leaf sheaths. The spikelets have similar tufts of long, white, multicellular hairs, evident on the abaxial face of the lower glumes and on the rachilla. These combinations of characters have not been noted in any other species of Bulbostylis. Bulbostylis medusae also differs from other Bulbostylis species by its leaf tip with a fascicle of hairs. The leaf tips of B. medusae and B. sellowiana are compared in Figure 1H and 1I. Two other South American species also resemble Bulbostylis medusae. These are B. emmerichiae T. Koyama (distribution: Brazil: Bahia, Mato Grosso, Goiás, and Minas Gerais) (1974: 429) and B. lombardii Kral & M. T. Strong (distribution: Brazil: Minas Gerais) (1999: 850). Both of these species can be distinguished from the new species by the presence of a short, suberect caudex. Bulbostylis lombardii also has a persistent style base, while the two others have a deciduous one. Identification of the new species with a key for North America (Kral, 1971) resulted in Bulbostylis warei (Torrey) C. B. Clarke, a species with fimbriatepectinate involucral bracts and prominently lobed achenes. Bulbostylis warei, however, differs from B. medusae in its shorter spikelets (4–5 mm), smooth or minutely puberulent scales, habitat, and its North American distribution. Taxonomic knowledge of American Bulbostylis species with capitate or anthelate inflorescences is poor, and a revision is sorely needed. For the unispiculate species, an enumeration (including a key to the species) has already been published (Goetghebeur & Gröger, 1993). Etymology. The specific epithet ‘‘medusae’’ refers to the reminiscence of the recurved leaf blades to the hair of Medusa in Greek mythology. Paratypes. VENEZUELA. Amazonas: mpio. Atures, Puerto Ayacucho, betw. electric power plant & Orinoco River, 14 June 1984, G. Davidse & J. S. Miller 25440 (NY); Pisicultura Station, ca. 8 km S of Puerto Ayacucho, 22 June Volume 17, Number 1 2007 Prata et al. Bulbostylis medusae from Venezuela 1984, G. Davidse & J. S. Miller 26340 (TFAV); al sur de Puerto Ayacucho, cerca de Mirabal, lado este de la carretera hacia Samariapo, 100 m, 24 Aug. 2006, S. Nozawa 1147 (TFAV, VEN). Koyama, T. 1974. A new species of Bulbostylis (Cyperaceae) from Brazil. Bradea 1: 429–432. Kral, R. 1971. A treatment of Abildgaardia, Bulbostylis and Fimbristylis (Cyperaceae) for North America. Sida 4(2): 57–227. ———. 1998. Bulbostylis. Pp. 505–514 in P. E. Berry, B. K. Holst & K. Yatskievych (editors), Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana, Vol. 4. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis. ——— & M. T. Strong. 1999. Eight novelties in Abildgaardia and Bulbostylis (Cyperaceae) from South America. Sida 18(3): 837–859. Kunth, C. S. 1837. Enumeratio plantarum, Vol. 2. Stutgardiae & Tubingae. Lindmann, C. A. M. 1900. List of Regnellian Cyperaceae. Bih. Kongl. Svenska Vetensk.-Akad. Handl. 26, Afd. 3, No. 9. Lye, K. A. 1971. The generic concept of Bulbostylis Kunth ex C. B. Clarke. Mitt. Bot. Staatssamml. München 10: 539–547. MARNR (Ministerio del Ambiente y de los Recursos Naturales Renovables). 1983. Pp. 26–35 in Sistemas Ambientales Venezolanos, Proyecto VEN/79/001 Ser. VII, Doc. 11, Región Guayana, Territorio Federal Amazonas, Vol. I. Ministerio del Ambiente y de los Recursos Naturales Renovables, Caracas, Venezuela. Nees von Esenbeck, C. G. 1842. Cyperaceae. In C. F. P. von Martius (editor), Flora Brasiliensis, Vol. 2(1). Osten, C. 1931. Las Ciperáceas del Uruguay. Anales Mus. Hist. Nat. Montevideo, Ser. 2, 3(2): 109–256. Palla, E. 1908. Cyperaceae. In R. von Wettstein & V. Schiffner (editors), Ergebnisse der botanischen Expedition der kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften nach Südbrasilien 1901. 1. Pteridophyta und Anthophyta 1. Denkschr. Kaiserl. Akad. Wiss., Wien. Math.-Naturwiss. Kl. 79: 168–200. Schnee, L. 1943. Las Ciperaceas del Herbario National de Venezuela. Bol. Soc. Venez. Ci. Nat. 9(57): 1–101. Acknowledgments. We express our sincere thanks to the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft for funding the research project ‘‘Vegetation and Ecogeographical Differentiation of Tropical Inselbergs’’ (coordinator: Prof. W. Barthlott) and to the Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes, who financed the stay of A. Gröger in Venezuela. SEM images were made by Wim Vyverman (GENT) and printed by Rosette Heynderickx. Literature Cited Barthlott, W., A. Gröger & S. Porembski. 1993. Some remarks on the vegetation of tropical inselbergs: Diversity and ecological differentiation. Biogeographica 69: 105–124. Blancaneaux, P. & M. Pouyllau. 1977. Les relations géomorpho-pédologiques de la retombeé nord-occidentale du massif guyanais (Venezuela). Cah. O. R. S. T. O. M., sér. Pédol. 15(4): 437–448. Böckeler, O. 1870. Die Cyperaceen des Königlichen Herbariums zu Berlin. Linnaea 36: 271–512, 691–768. Clarke, C. B. 1908. New genera and species of Cyperaceae. Kew Bull. Addit. Ser. 8: 1–196. Goetghebeur, P. & J. Coudijzer. 1985. Studies in Cyperaceae 5. Bulbostylis in Central Africa. Bull. Jard. Bot. État. 55: 207–259. ——— & A. Gröger. 1993. Studies in Cyperaceae 11. The unispiculate species of Bulbostylis in the Americas. Biol. Jaarb. Dodonaea 60: 64–75. 71