Authority:

Maguire, Bassett. 1967. The botany of the Guayana Highland--Part VII. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 17: 1-439.

Family:

Cyperaceae

Description:

Species Description - Spikes 1 to 5, sessile, digitate except the lowest, which is often apart from the remainder; the body oblong, obtuse-tipped, 6-13 mm long, 2.5-4 mm thick at maturity; bracts about 3, shorter than or slightly exceeding the spike, hardly sheathing. Glumes imbricate, obovate-elliptical, 1.5 mm long, scarcely 1 mm wide. Squamellae 3, the two lateral 1.75 mm long. Fructifications broadly obovate, 1.8 - 2.25 mm long, 1.25-1.3 mm thick, thickly biconvex, contracted above to conical stylebase 0.66 mm long, the faces brown, with several coarse longitudinal or oblique wrinkles; stigmas 2, elongate, cleft to the base of the style.

Discussion:

Hypolytrum, scapigerum Nees, Fl. Brasil. 2(1): 69. 1842. Syn. nov.

Hypolytrum micranthum Bockeler, Vidensk. Meddel. 1871(8-10): 154. 1871. Syn nov.

Hypolytrum strictum Poepp. & Kunth var monostachyum R. Spruce ex Bockeler Vidensk.

Meddel. 1871: 154. 1871. Invalid name published in synonymy.

Type. Brazil. Prope Ega, ad fluvium Amazonum, in fossis sylvarum primae-varum. Poeppig (holotype W, photo F).

Examination of the holotype and syntypes of H. scapigerum, H. strictum and H. micranthum indicated that the three names represent the same taxon. The earliest valid name, H. strictum, therefore, becomes the correct name of the species. H. strictum varies to a considerable extent in the number of spikes and in the width of leaf blades. When the spikes are three to five, the lowest one frequently tends to be spaced from the upper one. Since H. strictum has never before been collected with mature fructifications, an additional description is given.