Carex rainbowii | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Clade: | Commelinids |
Order: | Poales |
Family: | Cyperaceae |
Genus: | Carex |
Section: | Carex sect. Sylvaticae |
Species: | C. rainbowii |
Binomial name | |
Carex rainbowii Luceño, Jim.Mejías, M. Escudero & Martín-Bravo | |
Carex rainbowii is a species of sedge found in the understorey of Afromontane forests in the Drakensberg Mountains of South Africa. It had previously been misidentified as introduced populations of Carex sylvatica , but was published as a new species in 2013.
Carex rainbowii forms tussocks, with stems 45–71 centimetres (18–28 in) high. [1] The leaves are usually slightly shorter than the stems, and are 6–10 mm (0.24–0.39 in) wide. The inflorescence is 18–35 cm (7–14 in) long, and consists of four or five lateral spikes of female flowers and a terminal spike. The terminal spike is sometimes made up of only male flowers, but is typically androgynecandrous (with male flowers at the tip and the base, but female flowers in between). [1] The lowest bract subtending the inflorescence is about the same length as the inflorescence. [1]
Carex rainbowii resembles the other species in Carex sect. Sylvaticae; compared to C. sylvatica , it has denser female spikes, and is distinguished by its hyaline female glumes and the fact that the uppermost spike is often androgynecandrous. [1]
Carex rainbowii is only known from two sites in the Drakensberg Mountains of uThukela District (KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa), at elevations of 1,500–1,700 metres (4,900–5,600 ft). It grows in the understorey of Afromontane forests dominated by Podocarpus latifolius and Carissa bispinosa , alongside Celtis africana , Carex spicato-paniculata , Schoenoxiphium lehmannii , Dietes iridioides and Blechnum giganteum . A further population may occur in Eastern Cape Province, but this is yet to be confirmed. [1]
Carex rainbowii was described in 2013 by a group of Spanish botanists, having previously been considered an introduced population of Carex sylvatica . The specific epithet rainbowii denotes Rainbow Gorge, where the type material was collected, and also refers to South Africa's nickname the "Rainbow Nation", and to the rainbow as a symbol of peace and freedom. The new species was placed in a section of the genus Carex that previously contained only northern temperate taxa (C. sylvatica, C. arnellii , C. bostrychostigma , C. hondoensis , C. hypaneura and C. strigosa ). [1]
Chamaerops is a genus of flowering plants in the family Arecaceae. It contains only one species, Chamaerops humilis, variously called European fan palm or the Mediterranean dwarf palm. It is one of the most cold-hardy palms and is used in landscaping in temperate climates.
Carex is a vast genus of over 2,000 species of grass-like plants in the family Cyperaceae, commonly known as sedges. Other members of the family Cyperaceae are also called sedges, however those of genus Carex may be called true sedges, and it is the most species-rich genus in the family. The study of Carex is known as caricology.
The Afromontane regions are subregions of the Afrotropical realm, one of the Earth's eight biogeographic realms, covering the plant and animal species found in the mountains of Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula. The Afromontane regions of Africa are discontinuous, separated from each other by lower-lying areas, and are sometimes referred to as the Afromontane archipelago, as their distribution is analogous to a series of sky islands.
Carex rossii, commonly known as Ross's sedge, is a hardy species of sedge that is often a pioneer species in areas with little or no established vegetation, or in places where disturbance has occurred. Ross's sedge grows in a variety of habitats throughout much of western North America, from Alaska to Ontario, south to New Mexico and California. It flowers in May and June.
Carex simulata is a species of sedge known by the common name analogue sedge.
Persicaria amphibia is a species of flowering plant in the knotweed family known by several common names, including longroot smartweed, water knotweed, water smartweed, and amphibious bistort. It is native to much of North America, Asia, Europe, and parts of Africa, and it grows elsewhere as an introduced species and sometimes a noxious weed.
Carex hirta, the hairy sedge or hammer sedge, is a species of sedge native across Europe. It has characteristic hairy leaves and inflorescences, and is the type species of the genus Carex.
Carex binervis, the green-ribbed sedge, is a European species of sedge with an Atlantic distribution. It is found from Fennoscandia to the Iberian Peninsula, and occurs in heaths, moorland and other damp, acidic environments. It typically grows to a height of 15–120 cm (6–50 in), and has inflorescences comprising one male and several female spikes, each up to 45 mm (1.8 in) long. The utricles have two conspicuous green veins, which give rise to both the scientific name and the common name of the species. In the vegetative state, it closely resembles C. bigelowii, a species that usually grows at higher altitude. C. binervis was first described by James Edward Smith in 1800, and is classified in Carex sect. Spirostachyae; several hybrids with other Carex species are known.
Carex pilulifera, the pill sedge, is a European species of sedge found in acid heaths, woods and grassland from Macaronesia to Scandinavia. It grows up to 30 cm (12 in) tall, with 2–4 female spikes and 1 male spike in an inflorescence. These stalks bend as the seeds ripen, and the seeds are collected and dispersed by ants of the species Myrmica ruginodis.
Carex concinna is a species of sedge known by the common names low northern sedge, northern elegant sedge, beauty sedge, and beautiful sedge. It is native to northern North America, where it occurs across Canada and in high elevations in the northern contiguous United States.
Carex garberi, commonly known as elk sedge and Garber's sedge, is a species of sedge native to North America.
Carex sylvatica is a species of sedge found in deciduous woodlands across Europe. It typically reaches 60 cm (24 in) tall, and has an inflorescence made up of 3–5 pendent female spikes and a single male spike. It is also used as a garden plant, and has been introduced to North America and New Zealand.
Carex aboriginum is a species of sedge endemic to Idaho in the western United States, known as Indian Valley sedge. It was not observed in the wild between 1910, when it was first described, and 1999. Until its rediscovery, C. aboriginum was considered the only plant native to Idaho to have become extinct, and it remains one of the state's rarest and most endangered plant species.
Carex subg. Carex is a subgenus of the sedge genus Carex. It is the largest of the four traditionally recognised subgenera, containing around 1400 of the 2000 species in the genus. Its members are characterised by the presence of one or more exclusively male (staminate) terminal spikes, quite dissimilar in appearance from the lateral female (pistillate) spikes below. In most species, the female flowers have three stigmas, but a few species, including Carex nigra, have female flowers with only two stigmas.
Carex lacustris, known as lake sedge, is a tufted grass-like perennial of the sedge family (Cyperaceae), native to southern Canada and the northern United States. C. lacustris us an herbaceous surface-piercing plant that grows in water up to 50 cm (1.6 ft) deep, and grows 50–150 cm (1.6–4.9 ft) tall. It grows well in marshes and swampy woods of the boreal forest, along river and lake shores, in ditches, marshes, swamps, and other wetland habitat. It grows on muck, sedge peat, wet sand or silt, in filtered or full sunlight.
Anisotes pubinervius is an Afrotropical plant species in the acanthus family, which is native to forest understorey in the Afromontane archipelago. It is widespread in eastern Africa, with isolated populations in southern Africa and Nigeria. The species is named for the fine down that covers the main leaf veins (-nervia).
Carex archeri, known as Archer's sedge, is a species of sedge in the genus Carex, endemic to south-eastern Australia.
Carex pulicaris, the flea sedge, is a species of sedge in the genus Carex native to Europe.
Carex arctogena is a member of the sedge family (Cyperaceae) which grows in high alpine areas. It is one of the few "bipolar" species; it has populations in Greenland, Scandinavia, Russia, Canada and southern South America. Plants in the far north and south appear to be genetically identical, having taken advantage of a similar niches on opposite ends of the globe.
Carex dickinsii, also known as Dickins' sedge or chao xian tai cao in pinyin, is a tussock-forming species of perennial sedge in the family Cyperaceae. It is native to parts of Japan, Taiwan and south-eastern China.