Carex borealifujianica (Cyperaceae), a new species of the core Carex clade from Fujian, southeastern China

Abstract

A new species, Carex borealifujianica Y.F. Lu & X.F. Jin (Cyperaceae, sect. Occlusae of core Carex clade) is described and illustrated from northern Fujian, China. In addition to morphological comparisons with its relatives, comparative micromorphology of utricles and achenes of seven species in Carex sect. Occlusae was examined. Micromorphology of utricles and achenes revealed the similarity of Carex borealifujianica and C. ligulata. Morphologically, this new species is similar to Carex ligulata in having lateral spikes remote and densely flowered, as well as utricles densely hispidulous, but differs in having 2 or 3 narrowly clavate staminate spikes, leaves 2.5–5 mm wide with sheaths sparsely pilose, and achenes emarginate at the apex. The phylogenetic analysis from two nuclear DNA regions (ETS and ITS) and two chloroplast DNA regions (matK and trnL-F) of 68 taxa resolved C. borealifujianica as a distinct species.

Notes on Carex (Cyperaceae) from China (IX): three new species of section Mitratae s.l.

“…the Siderostictae , Schoenoxiphium , Unispicate , Uncinia , Vignea and core Carex clades ( Villaverde et al 2020 ; Roalson et al 2021 ). A large number of new species of the core Carex clade were described during, or soon after, the preparation of the “Flora of China” ( Dai et al 2010 ; Lu and Jin 2022 ; Lu et al 2022 ).…”