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Rhynchospora stiletto (Cyperaceae), a new species of beaksedge from the southeastern U.S.A.

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Summary

Rhynchospora stiletto Naczi & Ciafré (Cyperaceae), a new species from the southeastern U.S.A., is described, illustrated, and compared with morphologically similar species. It is unique among species of Rhynchospora sect. Rhynchospora by having very long tubercles. Additionally, it is distinguished by the combination of 1-flowered spikelets, turbinate glomerules, dark brown scales, and relatively wide fruits. Images are provided of its various habitats, all of which are sunny, wet, and calcium-rich but otherwise nutrient-poor. It occurs in the Ozark Highlands, Interior Plateau, and Ridge and Valley ecoregions of the southeastern U.S.A. A conservation status of Vulnerable appears to be appropriate for R. stiletto because it is a specialist of rare, small-patch habitats, has a very small area of occupancy, and is known from only seven localities.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Roger McCoy of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation for issuing permits for research and specimen collection from the sites in Coffee and Warren counties, Tennessee. We thank curators of the following herbaria for loans of specimens or assistance during our work there: AMAL, ANHC, APSC, BKL, BRIT, DOV, EKY, FSU, GH, JSU, LL, LSU, MICH, MO, NCU, NLU, NO, NY, NYS, PENN, PH, SMU, TAES, TENN, TEX, UNA, US, VDB, and VPI. Mason T. Brock, Kevin Brunke, Susan Farrington, Lauren Flesher, Adam Hayes, Zack Irick, Thomas H. Murphy, Daniel D. Spaulding, Jimmy K. Triplett, and Elizabeth Yohe assisted with field work. Kevin Brunke, Susan Farrington, Zack Irick, and Elizabeth Yohe collected and donated Rhynchospora specimens. Kevin Brunke and Elizabeth Yohe collected soil samples from Missouri. Kevin Brunke, Zack Irick, Theo Witsell, and Elizabeth Yohe supplied information on habitats, including closely associated plant species, for populations in Alabama, Arkansas, and Missouri that we were not able to study ourselves. Elizabeth Gjieli prepared the maps, using the resources of the GIS Laboratory of New York Botanical Garden. We also thank Bobbi Angell for drawing R. stiletto. Austin Peay State University Center of Excellence for Field Biology, NatureCite, New York Botanical Garden, and The North American Botany Research Fund provided funding and other resources for field work, botanical illustration, and soil analyses. Two anonymous reviewers provided helpful suggestions for manuscript improvement.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program, Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, 400 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA, 17105, U.S.A.

    Claire M. Ciafré

  2. New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd, Bronx, NY, 10458-5126, U.S.A.

    Robert F. C. Naczi

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  1. Claire M. Ciafré
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  2. Robert F. C. Naczi
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Correspondence to Robert F. C. Naczi.

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Appendix 1

Appendix 1

Measured specimens [when non-metric, distances as provided on labels are in brackets].

Rhychospora chalarocephala. U.S.A. Alabama: Baldwin Co., E of Gulf Shores State Park, 28 June 1991, Kral 79252 (GH). Covington Co., c. 8 km [c. 5 mi] of Florala, 14 Oct. 1991, Kral 80060 (NY). Geneva Co., W side of Geneva, 15 Aug. 1987, Kral 74274 (TENN). Monroe Co., c. 10 km [c. 6 mi] W of Repton, 21 Aug. 1981, Kral 67818 (NY); 8.4 km [5.2 mi] N of Eska, 23 km [14.5 mi] S of Perdue Hill, 3 Aug. 1996, Kral 86372 (NY). Delaware: Sussex Co., 2.7 km [1.7 mi] NNW of centre of Millsboro, 13 Sept. 2007, Naczi 12038 et al. (NY). Florida: Bay Co., Cypress Log State Forest, 27 Aug. 1991, Kral 79727 (NY). Gulf Co., W of Wetappo Creek bridge, 9 Aug. 1988, Anderson 11748 (FSU). Okaloosa Co., bordering Hurricane Lake at end of Centerline Road, 11 Oct. 1996, Anderson 17171 (FSU). Santa Rosa Co., Coldwater Recreation Area, 19 Aug. 1993, Kral 83235 (NY). Georgia: Bartow Co., 7.2 km [4.5 mi] E 33°S of Adairsville, 11 Aug. 1951, Duncan 12921 (NY). Lanier Co., c. 7.4 km [c. 4.6 mi] S of Lakeland, 16 Aug. 1988, McNeilus 88-401 (TENN). Maryland: Wicomico Co., 3.1 km [1.9 mi] SW of Pittsville, 19 Sept. 2006, Naczi 11547 & Knapp (NY); 2.4 km [1.5 mi] W of Wango, 2 Oct. 2007, Naczi 12086 & Treher (NY). Mississippi: Forrest Co., 4.8 km [3 mi] S of Maxie, 6 Oct. 1962, McDaniel 3462 (UNA). George Co., E of Merrill, 13 Oct. 1993, Spaulding 4580 & Alford (JSU). Harrison Co., 3.2 – 4.8 km [2 – 3 mi] N of Ocean Springs, 13 Aug. 1992, Kral 81429 (GH). New Jersey: Atlantic Co., Egg Harbor City, 10 Aug. 1913, Mackenzie 5558 (NY); Brimfield Crossing, 13 Aug. 2005, Moore 7395 (BKL). Burlington Co., c. 4 km [c. 2.5 mi] NE of New Gretna, 30 Aug. 2008, Naczi 12321 et al. (NY). Ocean Co., c. 4.8 km [c. 3 mi] SW of Bamber Lake, 1 Sept. 2001, Naczi 8837 (NY); 8.7 km [5.4 mi] NNW of community of West Creek, 14 Sept. 2018, Naczi 17206 (NY). New York: Suffolk Co., Calverton, 4 Sept. 1927, Latham 4261 (NY). North Carolina: Brunswick Co., Boiling Springs Lakes, 23 July 1987, Godfrey 82462 (FSU). Carteret Co., N of Beaufort, 5 Sept. 1982, Boufford 23054 (TENN). Pamlico Co., 4 km [2.5 mi] SE of Arapahoe, 24 July 1948, Godfrey 48338 (NY). South Carolina: Chesterfield Co., Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge, 22 Sept. 2015, Bradley 3637 (NY). Colleton Co., W side of Walterboro, 20 Aug. 1993, McNeilus 93-1709 (TENN). Georgetown Co., 18 km [11 mi] N of Georgetown, 2 Aug. 1939, Godfrey 1060 & Tryon (NY). Lexington Co., 13 km [8 mi] SE of Columbia, 8 Aug. 1939, Godfrey 1339 & Tryon (NY). Richland Co., Fort Jackson Army Installation, 8 Sept. 1995, Nelson 16900 (NY). Williamsburg Co., 3.2 km [2 mi] W of Salters, 14 July 1939, Godfrey 514 & Tryon (NY). Virginia: Isle of Wight Co., S of Benns Church, 18 Sept. 1937, Fernald & Long 7357 (GH [Holotype]). Sussex Co., 4.8 km [3 mi] NW of Wakefield, 1 Sept. 1992, Fleming 7381 (VPI).

Rhynchospora glomerata. U.S.A. Alabama: Chambers Co., 8.2 km [5.1 mi] N on AL 147 from junction with US 280, 11 July 2000, Hansen 2000-35 et al. (NY). Colbert Co., c. 8 km [c. 5 mi] S of Tuscumbia, 23 July 1944, Isely 3759 (NY). Lee Co., Auburn, 16 July 1899, Earle & Earle 6 (NY). Arkansas: Bradley Co., Warren, 4 July 1939, Demaree 19551 (NY). Franklin Co., Cass, 12 Aug. 1992, Bryson 12053 (NY). Jefferson Co., Redfield, 12 Aug. 1992, Bryson 12065 (NY). Miller Co., near Texarkana, 27 Aug. 1898, Heller 4163 & Heller (NY). Delaware: [New Castle Co.], Appoquinimink, 10 Oct. 1866, Commons s.n. (NY). Florida: [Duval Co.], near Jacksonville, 10 Aug. 1896, Curtiss 5739 (NY). Leon Co., 3.2 km [2 mi] E of Tallahassee, 16 July 1957, Godfrey 55613 (NY). Washington Co., 1.6 km [1 mi] N of Wasau, 23 July 1991, Kral 79466 (NY). Georgia: [county unknown]: Ad ripas fluvii Oconee, [no date], Beyrich s.n. (MO [Lectotype of R. glomerata var. robustior Kunth, designated by Naczi & Moyer 2017: 123]). Meriwether Co., near Woodbury, 28 Aug. 1901, Harper 1250 (NY). Rabun Co., bottom of Tallulah Gorge, 15 Aug. 1949, Duncan 10115 (NY). Sumter Co., Leslie, 17 Aug. 1900, Harper 404 (NY). Kansas: [Finney Co.], Garden City, 14 Aug. 1886, Letterman. s.n (NY). Louisiana: [Calcasieu Parish], vicinity of Lake Charles, 25 Aug. – 10 Sept. 1898, Mackenzie 442 (NY [Paratype of R. glomerata var. angusta Gale]). [Orleans Parish], New Orleans, 1832, Drummond s.n. (NY [Lectotype of R. glomerata var. paniculata (A.Gray) Chapm., designated by Naczi & Moyer 2017: 123]). St. Tammany Parish, 1.6 – 3.2 km [1 − 2 mi] N of Abita Springs, 12 Aug. 1912, Pennell 4133 (NY). Maryland: St. Mary's Co., 9 km [5.6 mi] SSE of Lexington Park, 4 Aug. 2011, Frye 6222 (NY). Mississippi: Lafayette Co., c. 8 km [c. 5 mi] W of Oxford, 1 Aug. 1993, Bryson 12532 (NY). New Jersey: Cape May Co., Pierce Point, 11 Sept. 1921, Mackenzie s.n. (NY). North Carolina: Perquimans Co., 7.2 km [4.5 mi] S of Hertford, 5 Aug. 1950, Fox 4170 (NY). Pitt Co., 4.5 km [2.8 mi] S of Stokes, 10 Aug. 1958, Radford 39744 (NY). Oklahoma: McCurtain Co., 4 km [2.5 mi] N of Broken Bow, 12 Sept. 1966, Crutchfield 2193 (NY). South Carolina: Oconee Co., Jocassee, 21 Aug. 1951, Godfrey 52004 & O'Connell (NY). Tennessee: Coffee Co., Duck R. at Morton Lake, 16 Aug. 1969, Rogers 44206 (NY). Texas: Hardin Co., 4 km [2.5 mi] NW of Saratoga, 13 Nov. 1945, Cory 50788 (NY). [Jackson Co.], Edna, 7 Jan. 1892, Plank s.n. (NY). Jasper Co., 18 km [11 mi] NW of Jasper, 12 July 1958, Correll 19619 & Johnston (NY); 4 km [2.5 mi] S of Jasper, 29 Oct. 1969, Correll 38209 & Correll (NY). Lamar Co., E edge of Direct, 20 Sept. 1969, Correll 37933 (NY). [Waller Co.], Hempstead, 10 June 1872, Hall 718 (GH [Holotype of R. glomerata var. angusta]). Virginia: [no locality, no date], Kalm s.n. (LINN 68.15 [Lectotype of Schoenus glomeratus L., designated by Reznicek 2004: 179]; studied as online digital image, Linnean Society [2022]). [Newport News City], Newport News, 29 Aug. 1925, Wherry 12430 & Pennell (NY).

Rhynchospora stiletto. [Full specimen citations provided in Specimens Examined section.] U.S.A. Alabama: Cherokee Co., McDaniel 24430 & Hayes (NO). Arkansas: Sharp Co., Witsell 08-492 (APSC). Missouri: Shannon Co., Farrington 19-20 (APSC). Wayne Co., Vogt 521B (MO); Brunke & Yohe 20200923.02 (NY). Tennessee: Coffee Co., Naczi 17551 et al. (NY [Holotype]). Warren Co., Naczi 17536 et al. (NY).

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Ciafré, C.M., Naczi, R.F.C. Rhynchospora stiletto (Cyperaceae), a new species of beaksedge from the southeastern U.S.A.. Kew Bull 77, 737–749 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12225-022-10044-1

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