Fimbristylis fusca
Content
Description
Perennial with short, woody rhizome clothed with the remains of decayed leaf-sheaths.
Leaves much shorter than the stems (often scarcely ¼ as long), basal except for one somewhat higher on the stem, rather stiff, flat, exactly linear, abruptly pointed, glabrous, or pubes- cent especially beneath, scabrid at the top, (1-)2-4 mm wide;
Inflorescence compound to supradecompound, loose, with several to very numer- ous spikelets, up to 10 cm long.
Stamens 3;
Distribution
Ambon present, Asia-Temperate: Japan (Kyushu present, Shikoku present), Asia-Tropical: Borneo present; India present; Malaya (Peninsular Malaysia present, Singapore present); Maluku (Maluku present); New Guinea present; Philippines (Philippines present); Sulawesi (Sulawesi present); Sumatera (Sumatera present); Thailand (Thailand present), Australasia: Northern Territory (Northern Territory present), Japan present, Kelantan present, Luzon present, Nepal present, Palawan present, S. China present, Setul present, W. Java present
From Nepal and India through Thailand and Indo-China to S. China and Japan (Shikoku, Kyushu); in Malesia: Sumatra, Malay Peninsula (Setul, Kelantan, Singapore), W. Java, Borneo, Philippines (Palawan, Luzon) Celebes, Moluccas (Ambon), New Guinea, Australia, Northern Territory (Katherine Gorge: Dunlop 3733). A new record for Australia.
Notes
F. stenochlaena KÜK. was based on BRASS 7840 from Papua, Lake Daviumbu. The specimens of this collection are stout and in habit similar to F. eragrostis, from which species they can readily be distinguished by the hairy, muticous, acute glumes, the much longer style, etc. According to KUKENTHAL F. stenochlaena differs from F. fusca by the broader leaves (2 mm) with light-coloured sheaths, the twice as long spikelets, the regularly distichous, long- acuminate, narrower glumes, and the many-flowered spikelets with all the flowers bisexual. S. T. BLAKE l.c., p. 223 gives the following key characters:
F. fusca: glumes more than half as wide as long, 3-4 mm long; style about 3 mm long; culms 5-ribbed; leaves 2 mm wide; spikelets 1½-2 mm wide.
F. stenochlaena: glumes about half as wide as long, 4-5 mm long; style 4 mm long; culms many-ribbed; leaves 1½-4 mm wide; spikelets 2-3 mm wide.
Like in most Fimbristylis spp. the width of the leaves and the number of flowers in the spikelets varies considerably. In the type-collection of F.fusca (WALLICH 3530) the glumes are 4½-5¼ mm long, the style c. 5 mm. The flowers of F. stenochlaena are triandrous (like in F. fusca), not diandrous as KUKENTHAL wrongly indicates.
In my opinion F. stenochlaena cannot be treated as a distinct species.
Also in F. suhfusca CAMUS and F. rigidifolia RIDL. the floral characters are those of F. fusca, so I take them for broad-leaved forms of this species.
F. fusca: glumes more than half as wide as long, 3-4 mm long; style about 3 mm long; culms 5-ribbed; leaves 2 mm wide; spikelets 1½-2 mm wide.
F. stenochlaena: glumes about half as wide as long, 4-5 mm long; style 4 mm long; culms many-ribbed; leaves 1½-4 mm wide; spikelets 2-3 mm wide.
Like in most Fimbristylis spp. the width of the leaves and the number of flowers in the spikelets varies considerably. In the type-collection of F.fusca (WALLICH 3530) the glumes are 4½-5¼ mm long, the style c. 5 mm. The flowers of F. stenochlaena are triandrous (like in F. fusca), not diandrous as KUKENTHAL wrongly indicates.
In my opinion F. stenochlaena cannot be treated as a distinct species.
Also in F. suhfusca CAMUS and F. rigidifolia RIDL. the floral characters are those of F. fusca, so I take them for broad-leaved forms of this species.
Citation
Merr. 1923 – In: En. Philip.: 123
Clarke 1907 – In: Philip. J. Sc.: Bot. 98
BACK. 1949 – In: Bekn. Fl. Java, (em. ed.): fam. 246, p. 18
KUNTH 1837 – In: En.: 249
KERN 1955 – In: Blumea: 125
Miq. 1856 – In: Fl. Ind. Bat.: 298
Ridl. 1925 – In: Fl. Mal. Pen.: 159
KOYAMA 1961 – In: J. Fac. Sc. Un. Tokyo: 118
Koord. 1911 – In: Exk. Fl. Java: 200
Ridl. 1925 – In: Fl. Mal. Pen.: 160
STEUD. 1855 – In: Syn.: 149
KERN 1968 – In: Back. & Bakh.f., Fl. Java 3: 468
BOECK. 1871 – In: Linnaea: 54
Miq. 1856 – In: Fl. Ind. Bat.: 337
Veldkamp 1982 – In: Reinwardtia: 26
STEUD. 1855 – In: Syn.: 72
KUNTH 1837 – In: En.: 249
Ridl. 1907 – In: Mat. Fl. Mal. Pen. (Monoc.): 97
S. T. BLAKE 1954 – In: J. Arn. Arb.: 220
Clarke 1967 – In: Blumea: 435
STEUD. 1855 – In: Syn.: 73
CAMUS 1912 – In: Fl. Gén. I.-C.: 123
S. T. BLAKE 1954 – In: J. Arn. Arb.: 211
STEUD. 1855 – In: Syn.: 72
CAMUS 1912 – In: Fl. Gén. I.-C.: 123
Clarke 1922 – In: Exk. Fl. Java: f. 262