Afrotrilepis

  • Authority

    Maguire, Bassett. 1965. The Botany of the Guayana Highland. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 12 (3): 1-285.

  • Family

    Cyperaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Afrotrilepis

  • Type

    Type species. Afrotrilepis pilosa (Bocklr.) Raynal.

  • Discussion

    Based on Trilepis subgen. Afrotrilepis Gilly. Trilepis Nees subgen. Afrotrilepis Gilly, Brittonia 5(1) : 15. 1943. Raynal (1963) recognizes two species, A . pilosa and A. jaegeri, from tropical West Africa. This genus closely resembles Trilepis, from which it differs only by bisexual spikelets. In Cyperaceae the sexes of spikelets are very variable and are not always valid for taxonomic segregation though they have a certain evolutional significance. In order to test the validity of Afrotrilepis more detailed studies in anatomy and perhaps cytology are necessary.