Scleria distans Poir. var. distans

Goetghebeur, P. & Larridon, I., 2019, A revision of Scleria (Cyperaceae) in Madagascar, Blumea 64 (3), pp. 195-213 : 202-203

5. Scleria distans Poir. var. distans

Scleria distans Poir. (1806) 4 var. distans . — Hypoporum distans (Poir.) Nees (1842) 171. — Type: Ledru 110 (lectotype designated by Raynal (1976) 214, 216: P00274452; isolectotypes P00274453, P00274454), Puerto Rico, 1797.

Cenchrus hirsutus Spreng. (1822) 15. — Type: Collector unknown (holotype B†), Hispaniola.

Hypoporum humile Nees (1834) 303, nom. nud.

Scleria mollis Kunth (1837) 351. — Type: Sellow s.n. (lectotype designated by Bauters et al. 2019: K001081692; isolectotype B†), Brazil.

Scleria nutans Willd. ex Kunth (1837) 351. — Hypoporum nutans (Willd. ex Kunth) Nees (1842) 170. — Scleria hirtella var. glabrescens Boeckeler (1869) 151. — Type: Von Humboldt s.n. (lectotype designated here: B-W17336; isolectotypes P00274463,P00274464,P0066517), Venezuela.

Scleria cenchroides Kunth (1837) 352. — Type: Drège 4365 (lectotype designated by Bauters et al. 2019: HAL0082047; isolectotypes K n.v., L0042779,P00465931,P00465932,P00465933,S1319036,TUB007471), South Africa.

Acorus brasiliensium Schott ex Nees (1842) 170, nom. nud. in synon.

Anerma hispidula Schrad. ex Nees (1842) 170, nom. nud. in synon.

Scleria michauxii Chapm. (1860) 532. — Type: Michaux s.n. (lectotype designated by Bauters et al. 2019: P00169707; isolectotype P00668894), USA, Florida.

Scleria humilis (Nees) Britton (1885) 235, nom. nud.

Scleria hirtella var. pauciciliata Britton (1885) 236. — Scleria tenella ‘sensu Griseb. ’(1866) 249,non Scleria tenella Kunth (1837) 353. — Type: Wright 3418 (lectotype designated by Bauters et al. 2019:GH00549023; isolectotype MA607212, MO716305), Cuba, San Juan de Buenavista.

Scleria hirtella var. tuberculata Boeckeler ex C.B. Clarke (1898) 294. — Type: Burke 62 (lectotype designated here: K000363498), South Africa, Trans- vaal.

Scleria hirtella auct. mult., non Scleria hirtella Sw. (1788) 19.

Perennial, rhizome 2–3 mm diam. Culms 20– 50 cm, arising every 1– 2 cm along the rhizome, sometimes thickened at the base. Leaves 10–15 cm by 2 –5 mm, puberulous, less often glabrous; sheaths hairy; contraligule strongly ciliate. Inflorescence a terminal spike, 8–10 cm long, with 4–8 glomerules; glomerules unbranched, reflexed ( Fig. 1g ). Spikelets androgynous; glumes 4–4.5 mm, straw-coloured, villose, awned; hairs white, dark towards the apex. Nutlets 1–2 mm long, obovoid, white, smooth.

Distribution — (Sub)tropical America, Tropical Africa and Madagascar.

Habitat & Ecology — In Madagascar, it is found on the Central High Plateau.

Conservation — Scleria distans var. distans is widely distributed in (sub)tropical America, Tropical Africa and Madagascar, and there are no specific threats which affect this species. Therefore, it is here assessed as Least Concern.

Additional specimens. MADAGASCAR, 1867, Lyall 209 (K); ibid., Lyall s.n.

(K); Central Madagascar, Dec. 1883, R. Baron 397 (K) .

Note — Most vouchers of S. distans in Madagascar belong to the variety chondrocarpa . In South America, the rhizome is smashed and drunk as mate or tereré, to treat diabetes and intestinal parasites ( Pin et al. 2009).

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.