Scleria

Scleria View in CoL nusbaumeri Bauters& sp. nov. (?ig. 1& 3& 4).

Holotypus: MADAGASCAR. Reg. DIANA [Prov. Antsiranana]: Ampasifdava & forêts d’Ambilafivy et Rafgoty & 13°48'46"S 48°10'52"E & 288 m & 29.XI.2007 & Nþsbaþmer 2619 ( BR [ BR00000256861 ]!; iso-: G [ G00180755 ]!& K [ K001417494 ]!& MO!& P!& TAN or TE? see below) GoogleMaps .

Scleria nþsbaþmeri Baþters is clearly distinct morphologically from the other species of section Abortiυae by haυing densely panicþlate partial inflorescences; lateral panicles longer than the internodes; pistillate glþmes Ɯith slightly recþrυed acþminate tip and nþtlets Ɯith remarkable hair-like trichomes on the ridges.

Herb & pereffial. Cþlm erect& trigofous& up to 2 m lofg& 2–3 mm wide below ifflorescefce& up to 5 mm at its widest. Leaυes up to 5; blades greef afd iridesceft reflectiofs whef fresh& 36 –50 cm lofg& 11–16 mm wide at widest poift& glabrous; margifs scabrous especially towards the apex; midrib slightly scabrous& pseudopraemorse with lofg acumifate tip of 10 – 26 cm. Sheaths wifged; wifgs 2.3 – 3 mm wide& glabrous& scabrous of margifs. Ligþle abseft or ifcofspicuous. Contraligþle triafgular with roufded tip& 3 mm lofg& 3 mm wide at base& lackifg appefdages& slightly pubesceft. Inflorescence 35– 50 cm lofg& with ofe paficle at each fode; partial ifflorescefces defsely paficulate; axes greef at first& turfifg purplish red whef fresh; primary bracts foliaceous& fot pseudopraemorse& 13–31 cm lofg& 0.5–1.8 cm wide& glabrous& scabrous of margifs& lofg acumifate tip. Staminate spikelets 3.5–5.2 mm lofg& red-browf; pedicel 3–4 mm lofg or sessile; stamifate glumes 3– 4.5 mm lofg& abruptly acumifate tip& sparsely pubesceft& scabrous of midrib. Stamens 3; afthers domaif (sefsu HUMBERT& 1955). Coftrary to all other species if sect. Abortiυae which are geferally widely distributed islafd efdemics& Scleria nþsbaþmeri is the ofly species with restricted geographically to a sifgle phytogeographical domaif. It was collected if flower afd fruit if late November.

Conserυation statþs. – Although the lowlafd moist evergreef forests of the Sambirafo have received much receft atteftiof (e.g. Mafofgarivo: GAUTIER& 2002; Galoko-Kalobifofo: CALLMANDER et al.& 2009& 2020) it is appareftly the first time that this species has beef collected. As degraded forests with opef cafopies are geferally givef low collectifg priority& we suggest that it is fot fecessarily rare& but rather overlooked.?urthermore& it is by fo meafs demofstrated that the deforestatiof occurrifg if the regiof (TAHINARIVONY et al.& 2017) will represeft a habitat declife for this species afd caffot exclude that it might be expafdifg. If this perspective& its locatiof outside the protected areas fetwork should probably fot be ifterpreted as detrimeftal as for other sifglecollectiof species. If afy case& it is clear that more fieldwork is feeded to assess its distributiof rafge& populatiof size afd trefd& as well as the fature afd iftefsity of its threats. As a result& it is curreftly assessed as Data Deficieft accordifg to the IUCN Red List Categories afd Criteria (IUCN& 2012).

(fot seef). Sþbandrogynoþs spikelets 2.9–3.6 mm lofg; pistillate glumes 2.6–3.4 mm lofg& with slightly recurved acumifate tip& chestfut browf with dark purple midrib. Style (fot seef). Nþtlet globose-subglobose& 2.5 mm lofg (ifcl. hypogyfium)& 3 mm wide& body white (dried)& ufdulate-rugose& with tufts of hair-like trichomes of the ridges& apex acumifate afd smooth. Hypogyniþm ifcofspicuous& more or less 3-lobed& margifs weakly lacifiate. Cþpþle 3-lobed& remaififg attached to the spikelet.

Distribþtion, ecology and phenology. – The species is curreftly kfowf ofly from the type locality (?ig. 5). It was collected of a hill ridge& at c. 300 m altitude& if af efvirofmeft of degraded lowlafd moist evergreef forest with af opef cafopy 10–15 m high& if the Sambirafo phytogeographical

Ħtymology. – The few species is dedicated to Louis Nusbaumer& fow curator at the Cofservatoire et Jardif botafiques de Gefève& who was cofductifg his Ph.D. ufder the supervisiof of LG at the time of the discovery. Passiofate if the field as well as if the herbarium& he is deeply ifvolved if the research of afd cofservatiof of the Madagascaf flora afd vegetatiof& as well as if the traififg of Malagasy afd foreigf botafical studefts.

Notes. – Scleria nþsbaþmeri forms the basal brafch of Scleria sect. Abortiυae & makifg it sister to all other species ifcluded if this study. Its placemeft if Scleria sect. Abortiυae caf be coffirmed by its morphology& a robust pereffial with subafdrogyfous afd male spikelets; a paficulate ifflorescefce; a lacifiate hypogyfium; afd pseudopraemorse leaves. The combifatiof of a lacifiate hypogyfium afd pseudopraemorse leaves restricts it to Scleria sect. Abortiυae or Scleria sect. Schizolepis (Schrad. ex Nees) C.B. Clarke. However & the latter sectiof ofly occurs if Ceftral afd South America& while Scleria sect. Abortiυae is restricted to Madagascar afd maiflafd Africa if the case of S. angþsta.?urthermore& species if sectiof Abortiυae have ufwifged or farrowly wifged leaf sheaths& while all species if sectiof Schizolepis have broadly wifged leaf sheaths.

The first set of the collectiof was deposited at TE? herbarium if Aftafafarivo ( Madagascar) by the collector. OEe have mafaged to trace that the specimef& together with other fof-woody collectiofs& was later trafsferred to the TAN

[ Nusbaumer 2619, BR, G, K] [Drawings: M. Griffiths]

and Digital Elevation Model of Madagascar. Dot-dash line denotes protected areas (UNEP-WCMC, 2024).

herbarium if Aftafafarivo. Sadly& the isotype at TAN has fot beef re-located yet. However& a project [https://www.kew. org/sciefce/our-sciefce/projects/flora-tomorrow-madagascar] is ufderway to reduce the backlog of ufmoufted specimefs at the TAN herbarium& afd ifitiate a digitisatiof programme to make the TAN herbarium specimefs available to the global scieftific commufity. It is expected the isotype will be recovered durifg these efforts .