Scleria greigiifolia (Ridl.) C.B.Clarke

Goetghebeur, P. & Larridon, I., 2019, A revision of Scleria (Cyperaceae) in Madagascar, Blumea 64 (3), pp. 195-213 : 204

11. Scleria greigiifolia (Ridl.) C.B.Clarke

Scleria greigiifolia (Ridl.) C.B. Clarke (1902) 509. — Acriulus greigiifolius Ridl. (1883) 336. — Type: Welwitsch 6959 (lectotype designated here: BM000922708), Angola, Huilla , marshes on the river Cacolobar, near lake Ivantala, Feb. 1860.

Acriulus madagascariensis Ridl. (1883) 336. — Scleria acriulus C.B. Clarke (1902) 509. — Type: Hildebrandt 3751 (lectotype designated here: BM000922716; isolectotype K000363343), Madagascar, Andrangaloaka , East Imarina, Nov. 1880.

Acriulus titan C.B. Clarke (1908) 62. — Type: Gentil s.n. (lectotype designated here: BR0000008638557), Democratic Republic of Congo, Vallée de la Djuma, July 1902.

Scleria friesii Kük. (1921a) 9. — Type: Fries 743 (holotype UPS), Zambia.

Perennial with a thick rhizome. Culm 0.75–1.5 m by 3–8 mm. Leaves 25–40 cm by 5–8 mm, scabridous to glabrous; basal leaves persistent; antrorse hairs present on margins and central nerve, up to 0.5 mm long; sheath closed, V-shaped, partially membranous; contraligule absent. Inflorenscence of truncated panicles ( Fig. 1e ), terminal and lateral, several per node, secondary branches very short; peduncles up to 20 cm, flexuous, reddish. Spikelets unisexual or subandrogynous; rachilla purple, dentate; glumes densely ciliate on the inner surface, male 3–4 mm, female 4.5–5 mm, purple on the lower half, straw-coloured at the top, margin finely ciliate. Nutlet 4–4.5 by 2–3 mm diam, beaked, smooth, white; hypogynium present, margin revolute, embracing the stipe, red dotted.

Distribution — Tropical and southern Africa, Madagascar.

Habitat & Ecology — In Madagascar, occurring on the grasslands and the mixed woodland grasslands of the Central High Plateau, alt. 1300–1700 m.

Vernacular name — Malagasy: vendrana.

Conservation — Least Concern ( Thacker & Juffe Bignoli 2013).

Additional specimens. MADAGASCAR, Dec. 1958, J. Bosser 12395 (K000455296); Antananarivo , 17 Jan.–22 Apr.1955, H. Humbert 28167 ( MO, P01921102 , TAN); Andrangoloaka, Ost-Imerina , Nov. 1880, J.M. Hildebrandt 3751 (K000363343); Ankaratra, Lac Froid , 1650 m , 24 Apr. 2010, I. Larridon et al. 2010-0336 (GENT, K); near Carion , Mar. 1961, J. Bosser 15031 (K000455295,P01896547); Central , Oct.1882, R.Baron 1870 (K000363344); ibid ., Dec. 1883, R. Baron 3331 (K000455294); ibid ., Nov. 1885, R. Baron 4102 (K000455293); Fianarantsoa,near Ambatofinandrahana , 1400–1500 m , 16 Jan.1955, H. Humbert & R. Capuron 28123 (K, MO, P01896548 ); Ambositra , 3 Dec.1995, M. Desfayes 95.3121 ( GENT); RN 7 ,113– 116 km N of Fianarantsoa, 1580–1590 m , 28 Jan.1975, T.B.Croat 29973 ( MO, P01896564 ); West Itremo , 17 Jan.–22 Apr. 1955, H. Humbert 30062 (P01896546) .

Note — Scleria greigiifolia is often misspelled. Kern (1963) commented on the origin of this issue. In Madagascar, a prepa- ration from the leaves is drunk to treat fevers ( Rasoanaivo et al. 1992).

Figures

Fig. 1 Main types of inflorescences of Scleria from Madagascar. a. Inflorescence of S. rosea; b. inflorescence of S. trialata; c. inflorescence of S. angusta; d. truncated panicle of S. melanomphala; e. truncated panicle of S. greigiifolia; f. truncated panicle of S. foliosa; g. spicate-glomerulate inflorescence of S. distans; h. panicle of S. hilsenbergii; i. inflorescence of S. lithosperma (a: Ramandimbimanana & Randimbiarison 460; b: Lance 30; c: Mogg 288898; d: Brummit & Singe 232; e: Bosser 15031; f: Raynal 7664; g: Croat 29582; h: Rajaonary 45; i: Frontier-Tanzania Coastal Programme Research Forest 412; all K). — Scale bar: a = 7 cm, b–h = 5 cm, i = 4 cm.