Carex myosurus
Content
Description
Leaves mainly subbasal, a few widely spaced on the stem, equalling or exceeding the inflorescence, long-attenuate, coriaceous, flat or with revolute margins, asperous on the upper surface in the upper part, with scabrous margins, (2-)5-10 mm wide;
Inflorescence from almost simple to decompound, narrow, (10-)25-100 cm long, erect or somewhat nodding at the top;
Distribution
Asia-Tropical: India present; Jawa (Jawa present); Philippines (Philippines present); Sumatera (Sumatera present), Atjeh present, Bontoc present, Burma present, Lesser Sunda Is present, Lombok present, Luzon present, Mt Bonthain present, Mt Rindjani present, SW. Celebes present, W. Coast Res present
India, Burma, Indo-China; in Malesia: Sumatra (Atjeh, W. Coast Res.), Java, Lesser Sunda Is. (Lombok: Mt Rindjani), Philippines (Luzon: Bontoc), SW. Celebes (Mt Bonthain).
Notes
Carex myosurus in the wide circumscription here accepted is extremely polymorphous. , distinguished between typical C. myosurus (from Nilghiri Mts and Coromandelia) and C. myosurus var. eminens (Nees) Clarke (occurring throughout the Himalayas), the latter mainly characterized by the shorter and usually broader utricles with often rather deeply bifid beak, although in some Sikkim and Bhotan plants (distinguished by Boeckeler as C. floribunda) the beak is not more notched than in the Nilghiri plants. Carex spiculata Boott, with narrower leaves, denser spikelets with obliquely ascending utricles and more rigid panicles he considered specifically distinct. Obviously he had not seen Malesian specimens of C. longibracteata Steud. (cf ).
, distinguished var. eminens by the shorter and broader utricles and the usually fuscous glumes, and var. floribunda (Boeck.) Kuk. by its profusely branched inflorescences; C. spiculata was reduced to sub- specific rank. On the other hand, C. longibracteata was upheld as a species. As in numerous Indian myosurus specimens the inflorescence is paniculate or even spicate (see Kukenthal's description!) it is clear that C. longibracteata cannot be separated from C. myosurus on account of the characters used in Kukenthal's key ("inflorescentia subdepanicu- lata, spiculae numerosae" in C. myosurus, versus "inflorescentia paniculata rarius spicata, spiculae haud numerosae" in C. longibracteata).
No more can I understand in what way Nelmes distinguished between C. myosurus and C. longibracteata, for the former is said to have leaves 5-10 mm wide and secondary panicles composed of 3 to rather numerous spikelets, whereas the latter should differ in having leaves 2-6 mm wide and secondary panicles composed of 1-7 spikelets. Besides, in the Lombok specimens referred to C. myosurus, the leaves are only 2-3 mm wide.
Carex longibracteata is very similar to C. myosurus var. eminens; usually the inflorescence is less compound (but profusely branched inflorescences occur, see Kern 8376!) and the utricles are still somewhat broader. In the Celebes and Lombok specimens referred by Nelmes to C. myosurus the utricles are considerably narrower.
The only Javan collection Nelmes referred to C. myosurus (van Steenis 12267) was gathered together with van Steenis 12269, which was named C. longibracteata for reasons I do not understand.
, distinguished var. eminens by the shorter and broader utricles and the usually fuscous glumes, and var. floribunda (Boeck.) Kuk. by its profusely branched inflorescences; C. spiculata was reduced to sub- specific rank. On the other hand, C. longibracteata was upheld as a species. As in numerous Indian myosurus specimens the inflorescence is paniculate or even spicate (see Kukenthal's description!) it is clear that C. longibracteata cannot be separated from C. myosurus on account of the characters used in Kukenthal's key ("inflorescentia subdepanicu- lata, spiculae numerosae" in C. myosurus, versus "inflorescentia paniculata rarius spicata, spiculae haud numerosae" in C. longibracteata).
No more can I understand in what way Nelmes distinguished between C. myosurus and C. longibracteata, for the former is said to have leaves 5-10 mm wide and secondary panicles composed of 3 to rather numerous spikelets, whereas the latter should differ in having leaves 2-6 mm wide and secondary panicles composed of 1-7 spikelets. Besides, in the Lombok specimens referred to C. myosurus, the leaves are only 2-3 mm wide.
Carex longibracteata is very similar to C. myosurus var. eminens; usually the inflorescence is less compound (but profusely branched inflorescences occur, see Kern 8376!) and the utricles are still somewhat broader. In the Celebes and Lombok specimens referred by Nelmes to C. myosurus the utricles are considerably narrower.
The only Javan collection Nelmes referred to C. myosurus (van Steenis 12267) was gathered together with van Steenis 12269, which was named C. longibracteata for reasons I do not understand.
Citation
Kuk. 1909 – In: Pfl. R. Heft: 258
Kunth 1837 – In: En.: 507
Nelmes 1951 – In: Reinwardtia: 327
Merr. 1923 – In: En. Philip.: 139
Kuk. 1909 – In: Pfl. R. Heft: 260
Nees 1954 – In: Reinwardtia: 377
Boeck. 1876 – In: Linnaea: 334
Nees 1951 – In: Reinwardtia: 325
Kern 1968 – In: Back. & Bakh.f., Fl. Java 3: 493
Steen. 1972: Mt. Fl. Java: pl. 14-2
Boott 1860: p. 82. – In: Ill.: t. 229, 230, 232
Steud. 1954 – In: Reinwardtia: 377
Steud. 1940 – In: Bull. Jard. Bot. Btzg: 314
Miq. 1856 – In: Fl. Ind. Bat.: 348
Boeck. 1875 – In: Linnaea: 108
Steud. 1855 – In: Syn.: 207
Back. 1949 – In: Bekn. Fl. Java, (em. ed.): fam. 246, p. 70
Steud. 1855 – In: Syn.: 205
Clarke 1904 – In: J. Linn. Soc. Bot.: 15
Raym. 1959 – In: Mem. Jard. Bot. Montreal: 51
Nelmes 1950: Kew Bull.: 195
Clarke 1894 – In: Fl. Br. Ind.: 723