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Rhynchospora belizensis (Cyperaceae), a new species of Rhynchospora sect. Tenues from Belize

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A Correction to this article was published on 17 April 2020

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Abstract

The new species, Rhynchospora belizensis, is described, illustrated, and compared with phylogenetically closely related and morphologically similar species. Rhynchospora belizensis is known only from southern Belize, where it inhabits sunny, very wet, nutrient-poor, peaty ground of graminoid-dominated, gently sloping hillside seepages. It is unique in its combination of great height, aristate scales, achenes with relatively long stipes, and relatively low and faint transverse ridges on the faces. Vulnerable status appears warranted for R. belizensis because only two populations and fewer than 500 individuals are known, all within a small geographic area. DNA sequence data from the plastid marker trnL-trnF and nuclear markers ETS and ITS diagnose a clade of R. belizensis, its sister R. emaciata, and R. junciformis and R. saxisavannicola. Rhynchospora belizensis is the only member of this clade occurring in Central America; all the others are endemic to South America.

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  • 17 April 2020

    The article "Studies in Neotropical Araliaceae. I. Resurrection of the genus Sciodaphyllum P. Browne to accommodate most New World species previously included in Schefflera J. R. Forst. and G. Forst." DOI 10.1007/s12228-019-09593-w was published with an incorrect running header.

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Acknowledgments

We thank curators of the following herbaria for assistance during our work at each institution: BRH, GH, ICN, LL, MICH, MO, NY, PH, TEX, and US. We also thank Bobbi Angell for drawing Rhynchospora belizensis. Scottie L. Sheaffer prepared the map. Naczi thanks Jacob Marlin and the staff of BFREE (Belize Foundation for Research and Environmental Education) for providing much logistical support for fieldwork in both 2008 and 2016. Tom Pop and Amanda Treher assisted with fieldwork. Nigel Richards and the staff of Gaia Riverlodge provided logistical support for fieldwork on Mountain Pine Ridge in 2016. A grant from the United States Department of Agriculture-Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (USDA-CSREES grant 2005-38820-16378) to Naczi funded Belizean fieldwork during 2008, and The North American Botany Research Fund funded 2016 fieldwork. Belize Forest Department employees Marcelo Windsor, Hector Mai, Lizandro Quiroz, George Hanson, and Edgar Correa prepared collecting and export permits. Kenrick Witty and Gumercindo Mai (Belize Agricultural Health Authority) prepared phytosanitary certificates for export of specimens from Belize. Benjamin Torke and two anonymous reviewers offered helpful suggestions for manuscript improvement.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd, Bronx, NY, 10458-5126, USA

    Robert F. C. Naczi & Wm. Wayt Thomas

  2. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Instituto de Biociências, Programa de Pós-graduação em Botânica, Av. Bento Gonçalves 9500, 91501-970, Prédio 43433, Bloco 4 - Sala 214, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

    Pedro J. S. Silva Filho

  3. Smithsonian Institution, Department of Botany, MRC-166, PO Box 37012, Washington, DC, 20013-7012, USA

    Mark T. Strong

Authors
  1. Robert F. C. Naczi
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  2. Pedro J. S. Silva Filho
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  3. Mark T. Strong
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  4. Wm. Wayt Thomas
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Robert F. C. Naczi.

Appendix 1

Appendix 1

Voucher specimens for molecular phylogeny. Following the collection and herbarium information for each species are GenBank accession numbers for trnL-trnF, ETS, and ITS.

Rhynchospora belizensis. Belize, Toledo District, Naczi 12124 et al. (NY); MN116830, MN116791, MN116805. Rhynchospora brevirostris. Brazil, Goiás, Anderson 9528 (NY00923342); MN116818, MN116795, MN116809. Rhynchospora contracta. Cuba, Holguín, Thomas et al. 15010 (NY01198485); MN116826, MN116802, MN116814. Rhynchospora depressirostris. Puerto Rico, Guayanés, Woodbury s.n. (NY00826349); MN116823, MN116800, MN116815. Rhynchospora emaciata. Brazil, Minas Gerais, Silva Filho 2269 (ICN); MN116829, MN116792, MN116806. Rhynchospora exaltata. Brazil, Bahia, Thomas 16468 (NY02641701); MN116827, MN116790, MN116804. Rhynchospora filiformis. Brazil, Paraíba, Thomas 15665 (NY01738206); MN116819, MN116796, MN116810. Rhynchospora hirsuta. Guyana, Rupununi, Jansen-Jacobs et al. 5024 (NY03108123); MN116825, MN116803, MN116817. Rhynchospora juncellus. Dominica, Syndicate State, Whitefoord 3928 (NY01298496); MN116821, MN116797, MN116812. Rhynchospora junciformis. French Guiana, Commune de Matoury, Delprete 11289 (US3632360); MN116828, MN116793, MN116807. Rhynchospora saxisavannicola. Brazil, Amapá, Pires 52381B (NY02618901); MN116831, MN116794, MN116808. Rhynchospora subnipensis. Cuba, Pinar del Rio, Thomas et al. 15978 (NY); MN116822, MN116798, MN116813. Rhynchospora tenerrima. Brazil, Minas Gerais, Silva Filho 2131 (ICN0180973); MN116820, MN116799, MN116811. Rhynchospora tenuis. Belize, Cayo District, Naczi 12154 (NY); MN116824, MN116801, MN116816.

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Naczi, R.F.C., Silva Filho, P.J.S., Strong, M.T. et al. Rhynchospora belizensis (Cyperaceae), a new species of Rhynchospora sect. Tenues from Belize. Brittonia 72, 40–48 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12228-019-09597-6

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