Scleria madagascariensis Boeckeler

Goetghebeur, P. & Larridon, I., 2019, A revision of Scleria (Cyperaceae) in Madagascar, Blumea 64 (3), pp. 195-213 : 208

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.3767/blumea.2019.64.03.01
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/BC3D9F16-6E16-FFDC-FC87-ECB222AFF9AF
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Scleria madagascariensis Boeckeler
status

Treatment

22. Scleria madagascariensis Boeckeler View in CoL

Scleria madagascariensis Boeckeler (1884) View in CoL 514. — Type: Hildebrandt 3745 ( lectotype designated here: K00363342; isolectotypes P00457089, P00457090), Madagascar, Antananarivo, Ost-Imerina, Andrangoloaka , Nov. 1880.

Perennial with conspicuous rhizome. Culm 1.5–2 m by 2.5–3.5 mm, triquetrous, scabridulous, edges red. Leaves 20–30 by 1.2–1.4 cm, pseudopraemorse, arranged every 10 cm along the culm; leaf sheaths glabrous or puberulous, winged; hairs present all along the margin and wings, retrorse, reddish, antrorse along the veins, only in the apical part, scarce; contraligule triangular, rounded, margin red, membranous. Inflorescence red, with leafy bracts; internodes red; panicles pyramidal, one terminal plus 3–4 laterals, 8–13 cm long, each lateral as long as the internode, the basal pedunculate. Spikelets unisexual or subandrogynous; bracts conspicuous, 2–6 cm long; prophyll purple, puberulous; glumes 3–4 mm long, slightly mucronate, reddish, finely ciliate along the margin and hairy at the base. Nutlet 3–3.5 by 2–2.5 mm, ovate, smooth, white, apex purplish; hypogynium trilobed, dentate, white with red dots ( Fig. 2a–b View Fig ).

Distribution — Endemic to Madagascar. Only known from four localities.

Habitat & Ecology — Evergreen forest, alt. 1200–1400 m.

Conservation — Scleria madagascariensis is endemic and is found only in the Central Highlands of Madagascar. It is known from two locations. The estimated of EOO ( 170 km 2) and AOO ( 12 km 2) do not exceed the value of the Endangered category. This species and its habitat are threatened by fire, illegal logging, deforestation for charcoal production and marketing and shifting agriculture ( Ravoniarijaona 2010). Therefore, it is assessed as Endangered under the criterion B1ab(ii,iii,v)+2ab(ii,iii,v).

Additional specimens. MADAGASCAR, Antananarivo, Anjozorabe Forest , 1400 m, 3 Sept. 1991, A. Rokotozafy et al. 2741 (K, MO); Ost-Imerina, Andrangoloaka, Nov. 1880, J.M. Hildebrandt 3745 (K000363342); Central, Oct. 1881, R. Baron 452 (K) .

Note — There are many misidentifications between S. madagascariensis and S. rosea . However, S. madagascariensis is a very rare species that always shows winged sheaths, reddish glumes, spikelets with long bracts and a dentate hypogynium.