PDF - University Library

BOTANICAL EXPLORATION IN VENEZUELA - I 67
wide, pale or ferruginous-brown, margins narrowly hyaline, the
central portion broad, 3-nerved; perigynia firmly membra naceous,
pale brown, olivaceous, or pale brownish-green below, prominently
several-nerved, narrowed below to an obtuse or rounded base; beak
1 mm. long and 1/2-3/8 length of perigynium, 1/2 or slightly over
1/2 length of body; achene rounded and broadest above the middle,
convex above, concave below, gray- or purplish-brown (Fig. 8, g-h).
Type in herb. Chi. Nat. Hist. Mus., collected in swampy meadow,
between Buenos Aires and Paramo de las Rosas, state of Lara, alt.
2285-3290 m., February 11, 1944, Julian A. Steyermark 55470; also
same locality, 55467. Vernacular name: "pajilla de montana".
A member of Kukenthal's section Spirostachyae Drejer and treated
by Mackenzie under section Extensae Fries, this species is related
to C. extensa Good, and C. fuscula D'urv. From C. extensa it differs
in the smaller achenes which are more conspicuously broadened
above the middle, while from C. fuscula and varieties of southern
South America it differs in the obtuse non-ciliate pistillate scales,
and the smaller, obovate, upwardly broadened achenes. The achenes
of C. extensa are described as being yellow-brown, and of C. fuscula
as yellow-green, but ones with purple-brown color may also be found
in those species.
Steyermark 55467 is apparently a dwarfed plant of this species,
but with shorter culms and leaves, shorter inflorescence, and smaller
pistillate spikes.
Carex roraimensis Steyermark, sp. nov.
Planta caespitosa; culmis 70-80 cm. altis, trigonis, infra capitulum
scabridulis, folia excedentibus; foliis 12-25 cm. longis, 2.5-3 mm.
lads, marginibus minute serrulatis, vaginis ore productis; spicis
gynaecandris subglobosis vel breve oblongis, 7-8 mm. longis, 4-5
mm. latis; bractea erecta, 2.5-4 cm. longa, 0.5-1 mm. lata; glumis
ovatis acutis, 2.8-3 mm. longis, pallide viridibus, perigyniis brevioribus;
stigmatibus 2; perigyniis oblongo-lanceolatis, basi substipitatis,
sensim in rostrum scabridulum attenuatis, marginibus paullo
alatis, 3.5 mm. longis, 1.25-1.5 mm. latis, undique moderatim vel
valde nervatis, pallide viridibus, ore bidentato; achaenio lenticular!,
obovoideo-oblongi, substipitato, 2 mm. longo, 1 mm. la to.
Sterile culms absent or poorly developed; fertile culms triquetrous;
leaves erect-ascending, becoming foliose about 25 cm. above base,
well-developed blades 5-6 to fertile culm; sheaths pale brown around
orifice, rather tight and white-hyaline ventrally; inflorescence erect
or slightly flexuous, 2-2.5 cm. long, 0.8-0.9 cm. wide; spikes 5-6,
approximate, subclavate at base, rounded above, the basal staminate
flowers few and inconspicuous; perigynia 12-20 in a spikelet, ascending;
bract stiff, prolonged, equaling or longer than the inflorescence;
scales pale greenish-white with a pale green center, narrowed above,
exposing the upper part of the perigynia; perigynia concavo-convex,