Scleria bulbifera Hochst. ex A.Rich.

Goetghebeur, P. & Larridon, I., 2019, A revision of Scleria (Cyperaceae) in Madagascar, Blumea 64 (3), pp. 195-213 : 202

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.3767/blumea.2019.64.03.01
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/BC3D9F16-6E1C-FFD6-FFC8-E9F92384FB3F
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Scleria bulbifera Hochst. ex A.Rich.
status

Treatment

4. Scleria bulbifera Hochst. ex A.Rich. View in CoL

Scleria bulbifera Hochst. ex A.Rich. (1850) 510. — Type: Schimper III 1557 (lectotype designated by Bauters et al. 2019: P00465915; isolectotypes BR0000008454294, BR0000008638458, E00200224, GENT, GOET002935 , K000320846, M0107104, MO-2204657 , P00465917), Ethiopia, Sana , In montibus prope Dochli, 5 Aug. 1841.

Scleria atrosanguinea Hochst. ex Steud. (1855) 175. — Type: Schimper III 327 (lectotype designated by Bauters et al. 2019: P00465919; isolectotypes B†, BR0000008454621, GENT, K000320849, K000320850, LG0000090029172, M0107109, M0107108, MPU012533, P00465920, P00465921,S13-18976,S13-18978,STU000378,STU000379,WU0073559), Ethiopia, Adoa , Montis Scholada, 3 Oct. 1837.

Scleria schweinfurthiana Boeckeler (1879) View in CoL 570. — Scleria bulbifera var. schweinfurthiana (Boeckeler) Piérart (1953) View in CoL 26. — Type: Schweinfurth 2193 (lectotype designated by Franklin Hennessy (1985) 518:K000320848; isolectotype B†, P00465918), Sudan, Grosse Seriba Ghattas, Lande der Djur, 27 July 1869.

Scleria bulbifera var. pallidiflora Ridl. (1884a) View in CoL 167 (as ‘ Scleria bulbosa ’). — Type: Welwitsch 7133 (lectotype designated here:BM000922701), Angola, Lower Guinea Pungo Andongo, in pratis humidis peculiaribus, Mar. 1857.

Scleria mechowiana Boeckeler (1884) View in CoL 510. — Scleria bulbifera var. mechowiana (Boeckeler) Kük. (1938) View in CoL 530. — Type: Von Mechow 345 (lectotype designated by Bauters et al. 2019: JE00006528; isolectotype B†), Angola, Malange, Oct. 1879.

Scleria buchananii Boeckeler (1888) View in CoL 33. — Type: Buchanan 32 (lectotype designated by Robinson 1966: 503: K000363340; isolectotypes B†, P00465922), Malawi, Shiri highlands, July 1885.

Scleria cenchroides Hochst. View in CoL , nom. nud. in synon. ( Clarke 1895) 669.

Scleria bojeri C.B. Clarke (1895) 669,nom. inval.based on specimen: Hilsenberg & Bojer s.n. (BM000922713), Madagascar.

Scleria buchananii var. latifolia De Wild. (1919) View in CoL 20. — Scleria bulbifera var. latifolia (De Wild.) Piérart (1953) View in CoL 26. — Type: Ringoet 485 (lectotype designated by Bauters et al. 2019: BR0000005571628; isolectotype BR0000005571604), Democratic Republic of Congo, Katanga,Schinsenda, 6 Mar. 1912. Residual syntype: Homblé 55 (BR0000008638489), Democratic Republic of Congo, Elisabethville, Feb. 1912.

Scleria verdickii De Wild. (1926) View in CoL 26. — Type: Verdick 398 (lectotype designated here:BR0000008638533), Democratic Republic of Congo, Katanga, Lukafu , Mar. 1900.

Scleria buchananii var. typica Gross (1932) View in CoL 658, nom. nud.

Scleria buchananii var. laevinux Gross (1932) View in CoL 658, nom. nud.

Perennial, bulbous at the base. Tubers 0.5–1.0 cm thick, brown, covered by old leaves and connected by thin stolons. Culm glabrous to puberulous, 50–100 cm long. Leaves 20–30 by 0.2–0.7 cm, puberulous, pale green. Inflorescence a terminal spike, 10 cm long, made up of 4–10 erect unbranched glomerules; basal glomerules with bracts less than 1.5 cm long. Spikelets androgynous; glumes 4–5 mm long, purple, scabrid, sometimes with hairs. Nutlet 1–1.5 mm diam, smooth to slightly verrucose, with tubercles transversally arranged.

Distribution — Tropical and South Africa, Madagascar and Arabian Peninsula.

Habitat & Ecology — In Madagascar, it is restricted to the Central Plateau and Highlands. The species occurs in grasslands and mixed woodland grasslands, on siliceous soils, alt. 800–1500 m.

Conservation — Scleria bulbifera is widely distributed in Africa and Madagascar, and there are no specific threats which affect this species. Therefore, it is here assessed as Least Concern.

Additional specimens. MADAGASCAR, Antananarivo, Antsirabe, Sahatsiho, 1600 m, 24. Dec. 1928, H. Humbert 7124 (P01707777, K); ibid., 1500 m, Oct. 1913, H. Perrier de la Bâthie 2661 (P01707770); Central Madagascar , Oct. 1882, R. Baron 2003 (K, P01707771, P01707772) ; Fianarantsoa, Massif de l’Andringitra , 1600–2000 m, Nov.–Dec. 1924, H. Humbert 3636 (P01707773,P01707774); Ihosy, Isalo, 856 m, 23 Jan.2008, M.Andriamahay & S. Rokotoarisoa SNGF1859 (K, SNGF, TEF) ; Toliara, Antanimena-Itremo , 4. Dec. 2012, F. Rakotonasolo RNF2093 (K, P01063613, TAN) .

Note — Gordon-Gray (1995) pointed that S. bulbifera shows a wide range of nutlet morphologies. Further research is needed to assess its intraspecific variation.