Schoenus galpinii T. L. Elliott & Muasya, S.

5. Schoenus galpinii (SchØnland & Turrill) T.L.Elliott & Muasya, S. African J. Bot. 112: 359 (2017).

Tetraria galpinii SchØnland & Turrill, Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1925: 73 (1925).

Type: South Africa, Eastern Cape Province, 3126 (Queenstown): Bongolo Nek, Queenstown, (— DD), 24 Sep 1911, Galpin 8228 (GRA! [GRA0000234 -0], holo.; K! [K000244985], PRE! [PRE0102715 -0], iso.).

Caespitose, phyllopodic perennial graminoid (Fig. 3E). Culms terete, (220 —)274 — 391(— 580) X (0.3 —)0.6 — 1.0 mm. Leaves basal, usually less than half the height of culms, 1 — 4, (18 —)49 — 117 (— 198) X 0.2‒0.5(— 0.6) mm, usually proximally channelled, margin serrate above sheath, usually straight or slightly curled. Sheaths reddish-black at base but paler above, firm, longitudinally striate. Ligule firm, relatively short, 0.2 — 0.6(— 1.0) mm long. In fl orescence a pseudolateral panicle, dark reddish-brown in colour, mucros from prophylls and glumes scarcely evident, (9 —)17‒29(— 38) X (2 —)4‒7(— 10) mm, proximal rachis length 3‒13(— 19) mm (Fig. 3J). Proximal primary in fl orescence bracts firm, apex acuminate, channelled or not, narrow at base, (25 —)39‒62(— 71) mm long, exceeding length of inflorescence up to several times. Spikes often aggregated into few (2 — 5) clusters, 1‒11, (3 —)8‒10(— 17) mm long, slightly overlapping. Spikelets lanceolate, (4.1 —)5.2‒5.6(— 6.8) X (0.7 —)1.0‒ 1.4 mm, pedicellate, 2 — 5 spikelets per spike, dark reddish-brown in colour (Fig. 5E). Proximal spikelet prophyll 1 per spikelet, well-developed, with notable, raised vein extending to mucro, (0.2 —)0.5‒0.8(— 1.6) mm long, mucro (0 —)0.8‒2.1(— 5.2) mm long. Rachilla (0.2 —)1.0‒2.1(— 4.1) mm long. Glumes 4‒8 per spikelet, first three glumes relatively short (as in S. cuspidatus), proximal glume (0.6‒)0.9‒1.2(— 2.6) mm long, subproximal glume (0.7‒)1.3‒1.7(— 3.5) mm long, narrow hyaline margins, upper glumes longer than basal ones, apex acute to obtuse. Glume mucros usually relatively short or barely evident, proximal mucro 0.1‒0.5(— 2.0) mm long, subproximal mucro 0‒0.4(— 1.8) mm long. Stamens 2‒4 per floret (usually 3), anthers (2.2‒)2.8‒3.4(— 4.2) mm long. Stigmas 3-branched, vestigial stigmas of second bisexual floret absent (i.e. yet to be observed). Perianth bristles absent (i.e. yet to be observed). Nutlet broad elliptic, trigonous, yellowish in colour when young but maturing darker, 1.8‒2.6 X 0.9‒1.2 mm (Fig. 6E). Nutlet beak 0.3‒0.9 mm long, hispid.

Flowering: August to February

Distribution and ecology: Schoenus galpinii is a species that generally occurs in grassland habitats on mountain slopes (> 405 m) in the Kwazulu-Natal and Eastern Cape Provinces of South Africa, as well as adjacent areas of Lesotho (Fig. 11). It is unclear whether the specimen from near Machadodorp in Mpumalanga Province is an actual range extension, an artifact of poor sampling effort or a labelling error.

Diagnosis: Schoenus galpinii occurs farther to the north and east than other species in the S. cuspidatus group, except for S. graciliculmis and Schoenus limosus T.L.Elliott & Muasya. These latter two species, however, have aristate spikelets compared to the cuspidate spikelets of S. galpinii (see Elliott et al., 2019; Fig. 5G). Morphologically, S. galpinii is most similar to S. cuspidatus (see Figs. 3 — 6), which is a species occurring farther to the west that has more prominent primary inflorescence bracts, as well as prophyll and glume mucros, resulting in a more ‘bearded’ looking inflorescence compared to that of S. galpinii.

Additional collections examined.

South Africa. MPUMALANGA: 2530 (Lydenburg): Farm Schoonwater, 17 miles S.E. of Machadodorp, (— CB), 8 Sept 1977, Davidson 3265 (PRE). KWAZULU-NATAL: 2828 (Bethlehem): Royal Natal National Park near Witsieshoek, (— DB), 28 Oct 1987, Burgess s.n. (NU). 2829 (Harrismith): Drakensberg, Cathedral Peak, (— CC), Jan 1941, Burchell 44 (NU); Aug 1946, Levyns 8276 (BOL); Drakensberg, Cathedral Peak area, (— CC), Jul 1944, Esterhuysen 10,213 (BOL), Esterhuysen 10,214 (BOL); Jul 1946, Esterhuysen 12,869 (BOL, K); 6 Aug 1947, Levyns 8271 (BOL [2 sheets], K [2 sheets]); Jul 1949, Esterhuysen 15,521 (BOL, K, NBG); Jul 1950, Esterhuysen 17,356 (BOL, K); Jul 1954, Esterhuysen 23,003 (BOL, K); Umlambonja Valley, Cathedral area, (— CC), Jul 1944, Schelpe 652 (NU); Cathedral Peak area, Drakensberg, Umhlonhlo Valley, (— CC), 6 Aug 1947, Levyns 8276 (BOL); Cathedral Peak area, Drakensberg, slopes of ridge leading to Mlambonja Valley, (— CC), 13 Aug 1947, Levyns 8312 (BOL); Cathedral Peak Forest Res. Stu., (— CC), 17 Oct 1950, Killick 1029 (K, PRE); Cathedral Peak Forest Research Station, (— CC), 12 Jan 1951, Killick 1298 (BOL, BR, K, NU); Drakensberg, lower slopes of E. peak of saddle, (— CC), 9 Jul 1957, Edwards 2138 (PRE); Mnweni Area, Drakensberg, (— CC), Jul 1958, Esterhuysen 27,802 (BOL, K). 2929 (Underberg): ‘ Monts "Drakensberg" Natal, sur les flancs du "Cleft Peak"’, (— AA), 30 Aug 1942, Germain I 568 (BR); Drakensberg, Cathkin, (— AB), Oct 1933, Meebold 14,407 (BR); Drakensberg, Cathkin Area, (— AB), Jul 1942, Esterhuysen 7961 (BOL); Drakensberg, Little Tugela area, (— AB), Jul 1943, Esterhuysen 8847 (BOL, NBG [2 sheets]); slopes of Cathkin Peak, (— AB), Jul 1956, Edwards 2014 (K, PRE); Giant's Castle Game Reserve, Giant's Hut area, (— AD), 26 Sep 1970, Ward 6948 (NU), Ward 6959 (PRE); Highmoor Forest Station, (— BC), 17 Jan 1966, Killick & Vahrmeyer 3671 (K); Garden Castle N.R., valley S. of Pillar Cave, (— CA), 8 Nov 1977, Hilliard & Burtt 10,509 (K, NU); Drakensberg Garden Hotel, to Rhino Peak, along Mlambonja River, (— CA), 7 Feb 1982, Goetghebeur 4504 (BR); Maluti-Drakensberg Mountain region, Sani Pass, (— CA), 22 Sep 2003, ZEN AS 311 (PRE); uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park, Garden Castle, ca. 100 m E. of Pillar Cave, (— CA), 1 Nov 2017, Elliott & Betz TE 2016_234 (BOL), Elliott & Betz TE 2016_235 (BOL); uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park, Garden Castle, ca. 800 m from start of trail at Hermits Wood Campsite, (— CA), 1 Nov 2017, Elliott & Betz TE 2016_236 (BOL), Elliott & Betz TE 2016_237 (BOL); Cobham Nature Reserve, Upper Polela Cave, grassy stony ridge opposite camp, (— CB), 20 Nov 1976, Hilliard & Burtt 9269 (K [2 sheets], NU); Cobham Forestry Station, (— CB), 19 Mar 1977, Hilliard & Burtt 9701 (K [3 sheets]); Bamboo Mt., (— CB), 9 Apr 1977, Hilliard & Burtt 10,094 (K, NU); Cobham F.R., Upper Polela, cave area, (— CB), 13 Nov 1979, Hilliard & Burtt 12,507 (K, NU); 5 — 7 miles N.N.W. of Castle View Farm, headwaters of Mlahlangubo River, (— CB), 26 Nov 1980, Hilliard & Burtt 13,701 (K [3 sheets]); Cobham Forest Reserve, Sipongweni, (— CB), 20 Feb 1981, Hilliard & Burtt 13,993 (K); Sani Pass Police Post, (— CB), 5 Feb 1982, Goetghebeur 4473 (BR, PRE); S. Drakensberg, Giant’ s Cup Trail, between Ngwenwa and Pholela, (— CB), 21 Jun 1982, Nicholas & v.d. Berg 1325 (K, PRE); upper tributaries S. of Mkomazi R. (feeders of Ka-Ntubu), (— CB), 30 Nov 1982, Hilliard & Burtt 15,712 (K, NU); Gxalingenwa valley, between Sani Pass and Polela valley, (— CB), 12 Dec 1983, Hilliard & Burtt 17,231 (K, NBG); hillside above Vergelegen above Mkomazi River, (— CB), 6 Mar 1994, Browning 651 (BOL, K); Mkhomazi Wilderness area, Sani Pass road, S. side of road, (— CB), 31 Oct 2017, Elliott & Betz TE 2016_233 (BOL); Mkhomazi Wilderness area, ca. 950‒1000 m N.W. of Cobham campsite, (— CB), 2 Nov 2017, Elliott & Betz TE 2016_238 (BOL), Elliott & Betz TE 2016_239 (BOL); Garden Castle Nature Reserve at Drakensberg Garden, valley above Forester's house, (— CC), 26 Dec 1976, Hilliard & Burtt 9574 (K [2 sheets], NU). 3029 (Kokstad): Ngeli Summit, (— DA), Feb 1983, Getliffe 1286 (NU); Weza State Forest, Ngeli Mountain on slope, (— DA), 19 Nov 1986, Jordaan 783 (PRE, WAG); Ngeli Mountain, contour path S. of Belfast, (— DA), 19 Oct 1991, Abbott 5564 (PCE). 3030 (Port Shepstone): Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve, (— BC), 15 Mar 1986, Ward 9834 (K). EASTERN CAPE: 3127 (Lady Frere): Barkly East dist., Saalboom Nek., (— AB), 14 Oct 1980, Hilliard & Burtt 13,125 (PRE). 3128 (Umtata): Maclear, Prentjiesberg, border between Rockwater and farm 212 and Castaneda and farm 212, (— AA), 8 Mar 1993, Bester 332 (PRE); Maclear, Prentjiesberg, ca. 20 km N. of Ugie on dirt road, just before reaching Preston Park, Farm 211, (— AA), 3 May 1993, Bester 500 (NU); Maclear, Farm 165, ± 16.5 km N. of Ugie, (— AA), 22 Oct 1993, Bester 1319 (NU); Prentjiesberg (150 m from top), (— AA), without date, Palmer 3070 (GRA); Gulandoda Mt., near Engcobo, (— CA), 10 Oct 1961, Esterhuysen 29,222 (BOL, K). 3223 (Rietbron): Camdeboo Mountains, 25 km N.W. of Aberdeen, farm 104, N.W. of Oaklands, (— BD), 16 Jan 2011, Helme 6895 (NBG). 3226 (Fort Beaufort): Amatoles, N. of Hogsback on S. slopes of Elandsberg, above Coolin Farm, (— DB), 7 Feb 2011, Helme 7050 (NBG). 3227 (Stutterheim): Pirie, King William's Town, (— CC), Nov 1901, Sim 2840 (GRA).

Lesotho. 2929 (Underberg): Sehlabathebe National Park, in carved-out sandstone rocks in the rock pool area, (— CC), Dec 1976, Schmitz 6995 (PRE); Sehlabathebe National Park, Lakhalong, (— CC), 25 Sept 1978, Hoener 2062 (K, PRE, WAG).