Cyperaceae
Carex

Carex chlorosaccus C.B.Clarke

First published in J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 34: 298 (1900)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Gulf of Guinea Islands, SW. Cameroon, Ethiopia to S. Tropical Africa. It is a perennial or rhizomatous geophyte and grows primarily in the subtropical biome.

Descriptions

J. Browning, K.D. Gordon-Gray†, M. Lock, H. Beentje, K. Vollesen, K. Bauters, C. Archer, I. Larridon, M. Xanthos, P. Vorster, J. Bruhl, K. Wilson and X. Zhang (2020). Flora Zambesiaca Volume: 14: Cyperaceae. M.Á. García, J.R. Timberlake (Eds). Kew Publish

Type
Equatorial Guinea, Bioko (Fernando Po), Clarence Peak, 2500 m, xii.1860, Mann 653 (K lectotype, K), lectotypified by Gehrke (2011).
Morphology General Habit
Perennial tussock herb 0.3–1(1.2) m tall with woody rhizome; basal leaf sheaths dark red
Morphology Leaves
Leaf blades 50–90 cm long, 5–9 mm wide, scabrid on margins and veins
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence green to brownish, slender, much branched panicles 8–50 cm long, often with one short and one longer branch at lower nodes; inflorescence axis and side branches densely pubescent; upper bracts 2 mm long with 3–8 mm awn, lower ones leaf-like; spikes 6–20 × 3–5 mm, few male spikelets above and 5–10 female spikelets below; glumes pale green turning pale brown or greyish, pubescent, 4–5 mm long including 1.5–2 mm awn
Morphology Reproductive morphology
Utricle green becoming pale brown, 4–5.5 long including 1.5–2.2 mm glabrous or slightly scabrid rostrum, often ± curved with several distinct ribs on each side, with short spine-like hairs below beak.
Distribution
Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique. Also in Equatorial Guinea, D.R. Congo, Rwanda, Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.
Ecology
Along streams in forest; 1000–2200 m.
Conservation
Widespread; not threatened.
Recognition
The species is unmistakable with its (usually) greenish to brownish inflorescence and strongly falcate utricles with fine needle-like rostrums projecting in all directions. Carex castanostachya Kük. is probably referable to this species, although until now it has been segregated on the basis of its dark chestnut-coloured female spikelet bracts. C. brassii is included here because the type specimen has the same slender panicle and nearly glabrous utricles with bodies of the same narrowly elliptical shape and filiform rostrums, although the utricles in the type are not falcate. A similar situation occurs in C. vallis-rosetto with which C. cyrtosaccus was synonymised by Gehrke (2011); the former has falcate utricles and the latter not.
[FZ]

Cyperaceae, Miss S. S. Hooper. Flora of West Tropical Africa 3:2. 1972

Morphology General Habit
Tufted perennial sedge 60–100 cm. high
Morphology Leaves Leaf sheaths
Pale brown or greenish basal leaf-sheaths
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Much branched panicles with short green spikes
Ecology
Montane forest 6,000–8,000 ft.
[FWTA]

Cyperaceae, K Hoenselaar, B. Verdcourt & H. Beentje. Hypolytrum, D Simpson. Fuirena, M Muasya. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2010

Type
Type: Bioko [Fernando Po], Clarence Peak, Mann 653 (K!, holo.)(Note: * Haines & Lye give Johnston from Kilimanjaro but C.B. Clarke in the 1899 reference clearly associates the word type with the Mann specimen.)
Morphology General Habit
Perennial tussock plant 0.3–1.(1.2) m tall with woody rhizome; basal leaf sheaths dark red
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades 50–90 cm long, 5–9 mm wide, scabrid on margins and veins
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence axis and side branches densely pubescent. Inflorescences green slender much branched panicles 8–50 cm long, often with one short and one longer branch at the lower nodes.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Upper bracts 2 mm long with a 3–8 mm long awn, the lower ones leaf-like.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets 6–20 mm long, 3–5 mm wide, a few male flowers above and 5–10 female flowers below.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes pale green turning pale brown or greyish, 4–5 mm long including 1.5–2 mm long awn, pubescent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Utricle green becoming pale brown, 4–5.5 mm long including 1.5–2.2 mm long glabrous or slightly scabrid beak, often ± curved, with several distinct ribs on each side and often short spine-like hairs below the beak
Figures
Fig. 65, p433
Ecology
Evergreen forest and forest edges including rain forest, riparian forest and bamboo, swamp edges extending up to Erica belt; 1300–3300 m
Distribution
Range: Bioko, E Congo-Kinshasa, Rwanda, Sudan, Ethiopia Flora districts: U2 U3 K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6T2 T3 T4 T6 T7 T8
[FTEA]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0