Carex paramorum Jim. Mejías nom. nov.

≡ Carex tristicha Spruce ex Boott in Ill. Gen. Carex 4: 153 [tab. 493] (1867), nom. illeg., replaced synonym, non Carex tristicha Boeckeler, Flora 41: 651 (1858).

Lectotype

(here designated): Ecuador, Riobamba, “ in pastis montis Titaicún ”, Nov 1858, Spruce 5767 (K-000584699!; iso- K-000584697!).

Note. This is a species frequently confused with C. pygmaea (see below): It has been often treated as conspecific with the closely-related C. tamana, which has been partly due to the lack of a legitimate name for the taxon. Carex paramorum can be distinguished from C. pygmaea and C. tamana using the characters reported in the key. It is an element of mesic to wet treeless páramos, here reported for the first time for Peru, more abundant in Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela and also known from Costa Rica (P. J. - M., pers. obs.).

Here, we coin a legitimate name for this species, based on the illegitimate C. tristicha Spruce ex Boott. The etymology of the epithet “ paramorum ” refers to the páramos where this species inhabits, meaning “ of the páramo ”.

Studied material.

Ancash, pista entre Chavín de Huantar y Catac, 9°41.2089'S, 77°14.5565'W, 4305 m alt., prados húmedos en claros de pajonal, 30 Sep 2021, Martín-Bravo et al. 210 SMB 21 (UPOS sn). Cajamarca, Lagunas del Alto Perú, 6°54'32.93’'S, 78°25'45.2"W, 3938 m alt., borde de lagunas turbosas, 6 Oct 2021, Jiménez-Mejías et al. 30 PERPJM 21 (UPOS sn). Cajamarca, carretera entre Chota y Cutervo, 6°27'6.3’'S, 78°45'29.98"W, 3009 m alt., claros encharcados, 7 Oct 2021, Jiménez-Mejías et al. 40 PERPJM 21 (UPOS sn). Huánuco, cerro Chogopata, a 5 km de comunidad campesina Lauricocha, 4000 m alt., 10 May 2004, Salvador et al. 795 (USM-215251). Junín, prov. Satipo / La Convención, cordillera Vilcabamba río Ene slope, near summit of divide, 11°39'36’'S, 73°40'02"W, 3350–3400 m alt., mossy upper montane forest, 8 Jun 1997, Boyle et al. 4218, (F-2184452, USM sn). La Libertad, Patáz Borde con el Parque Nacional Río Abiseo, Abra Ventanas, en toda la cima, pajonal con influencia de pastoreo, 3700–3800 m alt., 23 Jul 2009, León et al. 5456 (USM-283487). Piura, Laguna Shimbe, - 5,050 647, - 79,463 077, 3237 m, prados húmedos, Jiménez-Mejías et al. 64 PERPJM 21, UPOS sn. Piura, carretera Laguna Negra a Huancabamba, 5°05'45.96’'S, 79°30'14.14"W, 3500 m alt., pajonal, 10 Oct 2021, Jiménez-Mejías et al. 82 PERPJM 21 (UPOS sn).