Cyperus flavicomus (Cyperaceae), long misnamed C. macrostachyos: a comprehensive taxonomic reassessment with annotated synonymy and voucher-backed global distribution
DOI :
https://doi.org/10.17348/jbrit.v20.i3.1487Mots-clés :
Cyperaceae, Cyperus flavicomus Michx, Cyperus macrostachyos Lam, synonymy, morphology, distribution, lectotype designationRésumé
The pantropical annual flatsedge widely known as Cyperus macrostachyos Lam. (Cyperaceae; Cyperus subg. Cyperus, former segregate genus Pycreus) has been described under no fewer than 30 names over the past two centuries, variously treated as one or two species, with no substantive consensus on circumscription or nomenclature. In North America, the species is instead recognized as C. flavicomus Michx. To resolve these discrepancies, we examined the protologues and, where available, original type material for all names currently or historically synonymized with C. macrostachyos s.l., supplemented by an extensive survey of digitized collections ascribed to the species and of broader Pycreus material from Africa and South Asia (ca. 2,000 specimens from 130 herbaria in total). We report three principal findings. First, the morphological variation historically used to separate the species into two taxa is attributable to characters that are either environmentally plastic or maturity-dependent, and does not warrant recognition of more than one species. Second, examination of the holotype and holotype fragment of C. macrostachyos reveals that the material is not conspecific with the pantropical species to which it has been applied since Hooper and Raynal (1969), but corresponds in all observable characters to the South Asian endemic C. puncticulatus Vahl. The “Ex Africa” locality cited by Lamarck (1791) could not be corroborated by any material among the extensive African collections surveyed; we render the type citation as “Uncertain locality (‘Ex Africa’ teste Lamarck 1791)” to reflect this. Third, the correct name for the pantropical species is C. flavicomus Michx. (1803)—first reinstated by Tucker (1985), here independently confirmed and extended to encompass the full synonymy. Conservation of C. puncticulatus Vahl against C. macrostachyos Lam. is recommended under Art. 14 of the ICN; a formal proposal will be submitted to Taxon. An annotated synonymy, revised description, and voucher-backed global distribution for C. flavicomus Michx. and lectotype designations for eleven names are provided.
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