Juncus ecuadoriensis

Juncus ecuadoriensis Balslev, in G. Harling, B. Sparre & U. Eliasson (eds.) Flora of Ecuador 11: 36. 1979. Type: Ecuador. Azuay: Cerro Soldados W of Sayausi, 3400 m, 25 Apr 1968, G. Harling, Storm & Strøm 8753 (holotype GB; isotype AAU). Figs. 11, 12 Perennial, loosely cespitose herbs, (20-)35-80 cm tall. Rhizome densely and irregularly branching, 2.5-3.5 mm diameter. Culms erect, 1-4 mm diameter, terete, smooth or with small elongate transverse nodules on the basal part. Cataphylls usually absent, sometimes present as a membranous sheathing, but never conspicuously different from the leaf sheaths. Foliar leaves 1-3 basal and 1-2 cauline to each culm, 20-70 cm long; sheaths 5-15 cm long, sometimes nodulated like the culm, margin membranous and terminating in two 1-3.5 mm long, scaríous, rounded auricles; blades 2-5 mm diameter, round to elliptic in cross section, nodulated by conspicuous septa 1-4 cm apart. Inflorescence varying from one terminal flower head to a 20-headed, 1-3 times branched anthela, up to 7 x 15 cm, heads first conical, becoming semi-globose to globose with age, 1-1.5 cm diameter, many-flowered, the ultimate head bearing branches more than 0.4 mm diam; lower inflorescence bract 3-13 cm long, resembling basal and cauline leaves but much shorter, distal bracts shorter, the ultimate ones scale like and about 1 cm long, floral bracts to 3.5 mm long, castaneous to stramineous, with membranous margins. Tepals equal, 3.8-4.6 mm long, lanceolate, acute, green, becoming castaneous or sometimes stramineous, margin membranous, outer ones concave, inner ones flat, slightly narrower than the outer ones. Stamens three, 1.4-1.8 mm long; anthers oblong to linear, 0.5 0.8(-1) mm long or usually shorter than the filament. Capsule narrowly ellipsoid, acute and apiculate, trigonous, 2.9-4.4 x 1-1.3 mm, sometimes protruding from the tepals, light brown at the base, dark brown to almost black at the apex, unilocular. Seeds narrowly ellipsoid, apiculate, 0.7-0.9 x ca. 0.3 mm, reticulate, yellow-brown. Distribution and habitat. J. ecuadoriensis occurs in the Andes from Venezuela to S Ecuador. It grows in wet places between 1950 and 4000 m, in seepage areas and in Sphagnum bogs. In Colombia this species is distributed in center of the Cordillera Oriental (Boyacá, Cundinamarca and Norte de Santander), north of the Cordillera Occidental (Antioquia), Macizo Colombiano and Nudo de los Pastos, at elevations of 1980-4000 m. Representative specimens. Antioquia: Urrao, páramo Frontino, Puente Largo-cerro Cuchilla de Frontino, 3600 3800 m, 19 Jul 1995, D. Sánchez 2258, fl (COL); Urrao, páramo de Frontino, bosques del Alto del Diablo, 3450-3500 m, 28 Sep 1995, D. Sánchez 2355, fl (COL); Urrao, páramo de Frontino, Llanuras de Santa Bárbara, 3500-3600 m, 1 Oct 1995, D. Sánchez 2464, fl (COL). Boyacá: Aquitania, Península de Suse, 3050 m, May 1976, Aguirre-C. 396, fr (COL); municipio Pesca, vereda Puerta Chiquita, páramo de La Cortadera, 3500-3700 m, Bejarano-B. 39, fl (COL); Cusiana River, 1 km E of Vado Hondo, 2880 m, 31 Mar 1973, Cleef 9225B, fr (COL); páramo Sarna between Sogamoso and Vado Hondo valley, 3405 m, 5 Apr 1973, Cleef 9406A, fl (COL); páramo La Rusia between La Osera and stream de la Esperanza on Duitama-Charala road, 3624 m, 20 Aug 1953, Langenheim 3503, fl, fr (COL, NY, US). Cauca: Macizo Colombiano, Valle de Las Papas, cerca a Valencia, 3140 m, 25 Sep 1958, H. G. Barclay 5794, fl, fr (COL, US); páramo Las Barbillas near Guachicono, 3100 m, 19 Jul 1944, Core 985, fl (US); 29 Oct 1981, Las Papas valley cerca Valencia, 2700 m, 20 Jul 1944, Core 1004, fr (US); Paletara, 2950-3100 m, 15-17 Jun 1922, Pennell 6909, fr, fl (GH, NY, PH, US). Chocó: Valle de San Francisco, macizo de Tamaná, 3300 m, 14 Feb 1983, Torres-R. 1936 (COL). Cundinamarca: páramo de Guasca, 3200-3400 m, 6 Jan 1959, H. G. Barclay 6522, fl, fr (COL, US); páramo de Sumapaz, Lagunitas 4.5 km S of San Juan, 3455 m, 29 Jan 1973, Cleef 8447A, fl (COL); macizo de Bogotá, páramo Palacio, hacienda La Siberia, EI Tablón, 3350 m, 14 Dec 1959, Cuatrecasas 25661, fl (COL, US); Fomeque, Chingaza National Natural Park, 3210 m, 26 Jan 1982, Franco-Roselli 951, fl (COL); páramo Guasca, 2800-3000 m, 12 Jul 1963, Soejarto 52, fl, fr (F, US). Nariño: laguna Cocha, 3 May 1876, André 3093 (F, GH, NY); Cumbal, 4000 m, 24 Mar 1941, von Sneidern A431, fl (GH, NY, US). Norte de Santander: Alto de Almorzadero N of Cerrito, 3800 m, 31 Oct 1944, Fassett 25995, fl (COL, US); 35 km de San Bernado de Bata en la vía a Saravena, Alto de Santa, 1980 m, 1 Nov 1994, Fernández-Alonso 11807, fr (COL). Santander: páramo del Almorzadero, Perlonso, 3200 m, 19 Jul 1940, Cuatrecasas 9876, fl, fr (COL, US mixed with J. microcephalus); páramo N of Cerrito, 3050 m, 12 Oct 1944, Fasset 25927, fl (US).

Juncus

Sánchez 2258
Sánchez 2355
Sánchez 2464
Aguirre 396
Cleef 9225
Barclay 5794
Torres 1936
Fassett 25995
Fernández 11807

Juncaceae