Fimbristylis hispidula
Content
Description
Annual (always ?).
Leaves basal, much shorter than the stems, filiform, erect, hispidulous, ⅓-½ mm wide;
Inflorescence consisting of 1-5 (sometimes more) spikelets, the rays when present 1-1½ cm long.
Stamens 1-3;
Distribution
Asia-Tropical: Philippines (Philippines present), Burgos present, Columbia present, E. Java present, Flores present, Ilocos Norte Prov present, Lesser Sunda Is present, Luzon present, Northern America, Tropical Africa present, Wetar present, near Situbondo present, tropical America present
Very common in tropical Africa, rare in tropical America (Mexico, Columbia); very rare in Malesia: E. Java (near Situbondo), Lesser Sunda Is. (Wetar, Flores), Philippines (Luzon: Burgos, Ilocos Norte Prov.).
Notes
Abildgaardia pubescens PRESL was based on specimens collected by HAENKE "in Mexico et in Luzon". MERRILL, l.c., thought it was probably not Philippine. However, in July 1918 specimens were collected near Burgos in Luzon which undoubtedly represent PRESL's species. They cannot be separated specifically from the widely distributed and poly- morphous F. hispidula. The inflorescence usually consists of a single terminal spikelet, sometimes with 1-2 lateral ones added, the glumes are 4 mm long, the style is sparsely ciliolate and c. 2 mm long.
The very slender specimens from Java, Flores and Wetar perfectly agree with some of the African specimens I have seen. The inflorescence is anthelate consisting of 1-5 spikelets and subtended by small setaceous bracts, the glumes are 3 mm long, the style is glabrous and c. 1¾ mm long.
Nuts with longitudinally elongate epidermal cells are very rare in Fimbristylis, whereas they frequently occur in the closely related genus Bulbostylis, to which F. hispidula shows affinity also in other respects. , found that its embryo is of the Bulbostylis type. According to , the cells are always longitudinally elongate in Bulbostylis, but never so in Fimbristylis. Consequently he transferred Abildgaardia pubescens PRESL to Bulbostylis. However, in B. capillaris and B. barbata, also to him true Bulbostylis species, the epidermal cells are isodiametric.
Nowadays for F. hispidula mostly the name F. exilis (KUNTH) R. & S., based on Isolepis exilis KUNTH, is accepted. KUNTH deliberately rejected his epithet exilis in favour of hispidula, but he did not cite Scirpus hispidulus in synonymy. In VAHL'S Enumeratio 94 spp. of Scirpus are enumerated, two of them without specific epithet. Of the remaining 92 species 91 are meticulously accounted for in KUNTH's Enumeratio, only Scirpus hispidulus VAHL is missing. There is, therefore, ample circumstantial evidence that KUNTH based his name on that of VAHL, the more so as VAHL'S type locality (Guinea) is cited.
The very slender specimens from Java, Flores and Wetar perfectly agree with some of the African specimens I have seen. The inflorescence is anthelate consisting of 1-5 spikelets and subtended by small setaceous bracts, the glumes are 3 mm long, the style is glabrous and c. 1¾ mm long.
Nuts with longitudinally elongate epidermal cells are very rare in Fimbristylis, whereas they frequently occur in the closely related genus Bulbostylis, to which F. hispidula shows affinity also in other respects. , found that its embryo is of the Bulbostylis type. According to , the cells are always longitudinally elongate in Bulbostylis, but never so in Fimbristylis. Consequently he transferred Abildgaardia pubescens PRESL to Bulbostylis. However, in B. capillaris and B. barbata, also to him true Bulbostylis species, the epidermal cells are isodiametric.
Nowadays for F. hispidula mostly the name F. exilis (KUNTH) R. & S., based on Isolepis exilis KUNTH, is accepted. KUNTH deliberately rejected his epithet exilis in favour of hispidula, but he did not cite Scirpus hispidulus in synonymy. In VAHL'S Enumeratio 94 spp. of Scirpus are enumerated, two of them without specific epithet. Of the remaining 92 species 91 are meticulously accounted for in KUNTH's Enumeratio, only Scirpus hispidulus VAHL is missing. There is, therefore, ample circumstantial evidence that KUNTH based his name on that of VAHL, the more so as VAHL'S type locality (Guinea) is cited.