Juncus ramboi subsp. colombianus

Juncus ramboi Barros, Darwiniana 11: 238. 1957. Juncus ramboi Barros subsp. colombianus Balslev, Brittonia 35: 305. 1983. Type: Colombia. Cundinamarca: Macizo de Bogotá, quebrada de las Delicias, 2650-2770 m, 11 Jul 1939, J. Cuatrecasas 5437 (holotype COL; isotypes F, US). Figs. 10, 17 Perennial, densely cespitose herbs, 20-30(-65) cm high. Rhizome creeping, ca. 2 mm in diameter, densely branching, covered with stramineous or brown scales to 5 mm long, internodes short and the culms arising densely crowded. Culms erect, 0.6-1.2 mm diameter, equally thick from base to top, with 12-18 longitudinal ridges, pith continuous, parenchymatous. Cataphylls 3-4 to each culm, the uppermost and longest one to 4.5 cm long with an up to 4 mm long, acicular, rudimentary blade, castaneous. Foliar leaves absent. Inflorescence pseudolateral,capitulate, 10-20 flowered, composed of 2-4 densely crowded cymes; lower inflorescence bract appearing as a continuation of the culm, 2-5 ( 9) cm long, round in cross section, distal bracts obtuse, membranous, ca. 1 mm long; each flower clasped by two 1.5-2 mm long, obtuse, castaneous or membranous bracteoles. Tepals subequal, lanceolate, acute, castaneous, often pale green along the midrib, turning stramineous, outer ones 3.5-4.5 mm long, concave, inner ones slightly smaller and flat or slightly concave. Stamens six, 1.6-2 mm long; filaments flat, widened at the base; anthers linear, 0.5-0.8 mm long. Capsule ovoid to obovoid, round to trigonous in cross section, 2.5 3.5 x 1.5-2.2 mm, castaneous, sometimes pale brown at the base, 3-septate. Seeds ellipsoid or curved, apiculate, 0.5 0.6 x 0.2-0.3 mm, reticulate by longitudinal ridges and transverse lines, castaneous below a hyaline outer seed coat. Distribution and habitat. J. ramboi subsp. colombianus is distributed in the Cordillera Oriental of the Andes in Colombia, departments of Boyacá and Cundinamarca. It grows in páramos at elevations of 2650-3200 m above sea level, on moss covered damp soil along “quebradas” (Langenheim 3644) or in water on open plateaus (Galen-Smith 1373). The typical variety is known from a few collections from Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina in southeastern Brazil, where it grows in bogs, pastures, dry woods and brook banks at elevations of 900-1600 m above sea level. Comments. J. ramboi subsp. colombianus is peculiar in having a parenchymatous dense pith and not an aerenchymatous pith of asteriform cells. The wiry thin culms and the rigid, castaneous flowers are also very distinct. Vernacular name. “Esparto” (Pombo s.n., COL). Used for artesanal weavings in Boyacá (Torres- R. 3312A, COL). Representative specimens. Boyacá: Santa Rosa de Viterbo, Portachuelo, La Meseta road, 3200-3600 m, 4 Feb 1989, E. Cárdenas 1 (COL); Tutaza, 13 May 2007, Casas ALB36 (COL); páramo de Guantiva, Bel?n- Susacón km 230, 3200 m, 30 Aug 1953, Langenheim 3644, fl (LL, UC, US); Pombo s.n., fr (COL); Cerinza-Duitama, 9 Dec 1988, Torres-R. 3312A, st (COL). Cundinamarca: Alto del Páramo, near 15 km NW of Zipaquira, 3200 m, 6 Aug 1950, Galen-Smith 1373, fl (COL, F, GH, UC, US); páramo de Guasca, 3300 m, Sarmiento 908 p.p., fl (COL). Locality unknow: Mutis 6187, fr (US); Mutis 6190, fr (US).

Cárdenas 1
Casas 36

Juncaceae