Incipient insular differentiation of Carex firmula (Cyperaceae, former genus Uncinia) in the Juan Fernández archipelago (Chile) Author Ridley, Rhonda 0000-0003-0108-1116 Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, Göteborg, Sweden & Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, Göteborg, Sweden & rhondaridley @ gmail. com; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0003 - 0108 - 1116 rhondaridley@gmail.com Author Jimenez-Mejias, Pedro 0000-0003-2815-4477 Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, Göteborg, Sweden & Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049, Madrid & Departamento de Biología (Botánica), Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, C / Darwin 2, 28049, Madrid, Spain & pjimmej @ gmail. com; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0003 - 2815 - 4477 pjimmej@gmail.com text Phytotaxa 2022 2022-02-18 533 5 267 286 journal article 20580 10.11646/phytotaxa.533.5.3 e08e5f77-e318-4459-a6a3-3c4c22c6ef21 1179-3163 6145006 1b. Carex firmula subsp. tenuis (Poepp. ex Kunth) Jim. -Mejías & R.Ridley, comb. et stat. nov. ( Figure 4 ) ≡ Uncinia tenuis Poepp. ex Kunth, Enum. Pl. 2: 525 (1837) [basionym]. Lectotype (designated by Wheeler and Goetghebeur, 1997 ): ― CHILE , Antuco, Valle de Quilai-Leuvu , II-1827 -29, Poeppig 243 ( BM ; iso- HAL-0109859 digital image!) = Uncinia gracilis Decne. in J.S.C.Dumont d’Urville, Voy. Pôle Sud, Atlas: t. 6, f. B (1843). Holotype : Dumont d’Urville (1843): t. 6, f. B . Epitype (here designated): ― CHILE : Detroit de Magellan , 1841 Hombron s.n. (P-00277462 digital image!; iso- P-00277463 digital image!). FIGURE 4. Carex firmula subsp. firmula from Juan Fernández (O. T. Solbrig 3741 US): inflorescence (A) and utricles (B). Carex firmula subsp. tenuis from mainland South America S. Laegaard 101173 US): inflorescence (C) and utricles (D). Perennials, with rhizomes short to long-creeping. Stems, erect, 9.5–34.5 cm tall, 0.4–1.1 mm in diameter near middle, smooth. Leaves, flat, linear, 5–10 on each flowering shoot, shorter than to slightly longer than the culms, (0.7–) 1.5–3.5 mm wide, gradually tapering to a scabrous attenuate tip; basal sheaths brown. Spike, solitary, androgynous densely flowered, linear to linear-cylindrical, 2.3–6.2 cm long, 1.6–3.8 mm wide, the short staminate part 4–10.7 mm long. Pistillate glumes deciduous, membranous, lanceolate, glabrous, slightly shorter than utricles, 1.8–3.5 mm long, 0.7– 1.3 mm wide, apex acute, with a greenish middle strip and margins broadly hyaline, sometimes brown-tinged toward apex, 1 veined; persistent saccate stipe-like structure 0.4–1.1 mm long. Utricle 2.5–4.8mm , 0.6–1.3 mm wide; rachilla with an exserted length of 2.3–4 mm long, the apical hook 0.9–1.8 mm . Nutlets 2–2.6 mm long, 0.6–1.1 mm wide, oblong-obovoid. Distribution :—From Tierra del Fuego and Patagonia, through the Andes north to Colombia , apparently disjunctly distributed across Central America and Mexico (Govaerts et al ., 2019). Notes : The World Checklist of Cyperaceae (Govaerts et al ., 2019) included the Falkland Islands in the distribution of Carex firmula on the basis of a report in a manual of Costa Rican plants ( Hammel et al ., 2003 ) we found no specimens for this species from the Falkland Islands . Indeed, Flora del Cono Sur (Flora del Cono Sur, 2019+) does not account that species for the Atlantic archipelago. The closest records for C. firmula seems to be at the eastern most limit of Tierra del Fuego ( Isla de los Estados; Wheeler, 1994 ). Further investigation is required to confirm if C. firmula is found on the Falkland Islands . Ecology :—Montane rainforest or thickets, on moist soil; 3000–4000 m elevation in tropical latitudes, down to sea level in Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego ( Wheeler, 1994 , 1996 , Wheeler and Goetghebeur, 1996).