Cyperus melas Ridl.

Transactions of the Linnean Society of London, Botany 2: 127 (Ridley 1884).

LECTOTYPE. — Angola • Mutollo Sobata de Guinga cum Irideis pusillis et Xyrideis; I.1857; F.Welwitsch 6914; lectotype (here designated): LISU [LISU224753] • Same data; Isolectotypes: BM[BM000922518, lower three specimens, the upper belong to Welwitsch 6913], MPU[MPU028173].

REMARKS

Ridley (1884: 127) cited three syntypes in the protologue of this species, all from the Welwitsch herbarium: Angola, Pungo Andongo, in paludosis prope Lombe […], Mar. 1857, n° 6913; Mutollo Sobata de Guinga […], Jan. 1857, n° 6914 and Huilla, in pascuis editis ad Morro de Lopollo versus Empalanca, […], Apr. 1860, n° 6871. A fourth collection, Welwitsch 7154, was also considered to be a syntype by Hoenselaar et al. (2010). The label bears the same details as Welwitsch 6914 (Mutollo, Jan. 1857). However, because this collection number was not mentioned in the protologue, it is not a syntype and therefore cannot be selected as a lectotype. The three Welwitsch collections mentioned in the protologue all are preserved in LISU and BM, where Welwitsch’s Angola specimens are located (respectively his first and second set; see Stafleu & Cowan 1976 -1988), with duplicates deposited in many other herbaria. After a legal dispute, the main set was assigned to the Lisbon herbarium (LISU), the secondbest set to the Natural History Museum in London (BM) (Albuquerque et al. 2020). All three collection numbers in LISU – with Welwitsch 6914 even being represented by two separate sheets – are eligible for lectotypification purposes. All these collections were also seen and cited by Kükenthal (1935 -1936) in his world monograph. Welwitsch 6913 (barcode LISU224752) is represented by six entire specimens, nearly all of them quite mature and with the majority of the glumes already fallen. As a result, the verification of any floral characteristics (e.g. number, color and size of the stamens) may no longer be possible. Welwitsch 6871 (barcode LISU224756) only shows a single entire plant. It was studied by one of us (AM) at LISU and it belongs to Cyperus capillifolius A.Rich. [syn.: Pycreus capillifolius (A.Rich.) C.B.Clarke]. Welwitsch 6914 is left; it is represented by two almost identical sheets (LISU224753 and LISU224754). Both sheets contain several specimens, nine and six respectively, collected at both the flowering and fruiting stage. The first sheet includes both young and mature specimens; it is therefore best suited for lectotypification.