Distichia muscoides

Distichia muscoides Nees & Meyen, in F. J. M. Meyen, Observ. Bot. 129. 1843. Type: Peru. Puno: Pisacoma, 4500 m, Apr 1831, Meyen s.n. (holotype n.v., probably destroyed at B; isotypes BR!, P!, photo QCA!). Figs. 1, 2 Goudotia tolimensis Decne., Ann. Sci. Nat. Bot., Ser. 3. 4: 85. 1845; Distichia tolimensis (Decne.) Buchenau, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 1: 141. 1880. Type: Colombia. Tolima: 4600-5000 m, Feb 1828, J. Goudot s.n. (holotype P!; isotypes G!, K!, P!). Perennial herbs, forming dense, hard cushions up to several meters in diameter; single plants consisting of 5 -15 cm long, more or less regularly forked shoots, covered by short, strictly distichous, persistent, stramineous or rarely dark brown, wilted leaves; only the two or three distal leaves green and projecting above the cushion. Leaves 1-2 cm long, inserted 1-2 mm apart; sheaths usually 2/3 of entire leaf length, open, wide, V-shaped in cross section, with narrow and membranous margins, almost completely clasping the sheath of the leaf above; blade bluntly acute. Flowers in leaf axil, near shoot apex. Tepals subequal, 4-7 mm long. Staminate flowers on 1-2 cm long, filiform pedicels; stamens 2, 2-3.5 mm long; filaments 1/10-1/5 as long as the anthers; anthers 1.8-3 mm long. Pistillate flowers hidden in the sheath of the supporting leaf with only the stigmas projecting above the shoot apex; style filiform, exceeding the tepals; stigmas half as long as the style; gynophore stretching at fruit ripening, lifting the capsule slightly above the cushion. Capsule ellipsoid to ovoid, apically acute to slightly apiculate or obtuse, 5-7 x 2.5-3.5 mm, irregularly dehiscing, yellow brown, unilocular. Seeds oblong, 1-1.5 x 0.5-1 mm, covered by a thick white outer seed coat. Distribution and habitat. D. muscoides is distributed in the Andes from Colombia to northern Argentina and is characteristic of the high altitude páramo and puna vegetation. It has been collected at altitudes as low as 3600 m above sea level, but is much more common at 4000-4600 m. This species forms dense and very hard cushions, up to several meters in diameter, which in boggy depressions often provide the only secure foothold for the wanderer. On slopes with high precipitation it may create bizarre protruding formations. In Colombia this species is widely distributed along the Cordillera Central, Cordillera Oriental and Nudo de los Pastos, at elevations of 3650-4600 m. Representative specimens. Arauca: Sierra Nevada del Cocuy, quebrada El Playón, Patio Bolos, 4190-4285 m, Cleef 8914, st (COL, P, US); Sierra Nevada del Cocuy, quebrada El Playón, Patio Bolos, Hoya San José, 2.5 km al SO de la laguna La Plaza, 10 Mar 1973, Cleef 9018B, female fl (COL). Boyacá: Cordillera Oriental, Sierra Nevada del Cocuy, alto Ritacuba, 4500 m, 11 Apr 1959, H. G. Barclay 7324, fr (COL, MO,US); Sierra Nevada del Cocuy, páramo Cóncavo, 3.5 km NW del Pulpito del Diablo, 4315 m, 26 Feb 1973, Cleef 8524, male fl (COL); Sierra Nevada del Cocuy, Las Lagunillas, 4000-4300 m, 12 Sep 1938, Cuatrecasas 1518, st (COL, F, US); below Ritacuba glacier, 4400 m, Aug 1957, Grubb 310, st (US); Güicán, Sierra Nevada del Cocuy, laguna Grande de los Verdes, 3900-4100 m, 21 Sep 1978, Rangel-Ch. 1558, st (COL). Caldas: páramo del Ruiz, 4200-4630 m, 29 Aug 1957, H. G. Barclay 5220, st (COL); Cordillera Central, nevado del Ruiz, 3900-4200 m, 5 May 1940, Cuatrecasas 9305, female fl (COL, F, US); nevado de Santa Isabel, río Otún, 3820 m, 26 Nov 1946, Cuatrecasas 23232, male fl (F, US); nevado del Ruiz, Termales, 4200 -4500 m, 31 Oct 1952, Humbert 27076, fr (COL, GH, NY, S, SI, U, US, W); páramo del Quindío, 4100-4300 m, 15-20 Aug 1922, Pennell 9860, female fl, fr (B, COL F, GH, K, NY, S, US). Caldas-Tolima: Cordillera Central, nevado del Ruiz, páramos Termales, Nevado y Líbano, 4200 m, 9 Dec 1958, H. G. Barclay 6317, st (COL, MO, US), 4400 m, 11 Dec 1958, H. G. Barclay 6323 fr, male fl (COL MO, US), 4050 m, 20 Dec 1958, H. G. Barclay 6451, male fl (COL, MO, US). Cauca: Monte Puracé, río Vinagre, El Almorzadero, 3800 m, 7 Jan 1972, Cleef 617, st (COL, P); Cordillera Central, Puracé, 4000 m, 24 Jul 1943, Cuatrecasas 14728, fr (F, US); Parque Nacional Natural Puracé, Cordillera Central, faldas del volcán Puracé, 3900 m, 22 Jul 1976, Jaramillo-Mejía 5273 (COL); volcán Puracé, 22 Jul 1976, JaramilloMejía 5287, st (COL), volcán Puracé, 3850-4500 m, 5 Oct 1984, Lozano-C. 4579, fr (COL). Meta: macizo de Sumapaz, quebrada Clarincito, Los Frailes, 3720 m, 2 Jul 1981, Díaz-Piedrahita 2379A, st (COL). Nariño: Cumbal, volcán Chiles, 3900-4100 m, 23 Oct 1978, Sturm 74, st (COL). Risaralda: Pereira, laguna de Otún, 4000-4300 m, 3 Feb 1980, Díaz-Piedrahita 1744 (COL), male fl; laguna del Mosquito, occidente de la laguna de Otún, 3800 m, 24 May 1979, Salamanca AC233, male fl (COL). Santander: páramo del Almorzadero, 3900 m, 17-19 Nov 1978, Aguirre-C. 858 (COL); páramo de Santurbán cerca a Vetas, 3950-4160 m, 17 Jan 1927, Killip 17576, st (C, COL, F, GH, NY, S, US). Vernacular name. “Llano duro” (Cleef 8731, Cleef 8914 COL).

Distichia

Cleef 9018
Cleef 8524
Cuatrecasas 1518
Rangel 1558
Cuatrecasas 9305
Humbert 27076
Jaramillo 5273
Jaramillo 5287
Lozano 4579
Díaz 2379
Sturm 74
Díaz 1744
Salamanca 233
Aguirre 858

Juncaceae