Art by Alice Tangerini: Cyperus pulguerensis M.T. Strong

From Plant Press, Vol. 18, No. 4, October 2015.

Cyperus pulguerensis (Cyperacae) was published in “Monocots & Gymnosperms of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands” (Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 52: 1-415; 2005). The brush and ink illustration was drawn in 2005 from the holotype at the U.S. National Herbarium (Proctor & Thomas 43804, June 24, 1987, El Pulguero, Manati, Puerto Rico) and an isotype from the herbarium of the Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales in San Juan. Originally identified as Cyperus confertus, the type differed in the spikelet scales which have the carina prolonged at the apex as a straight thickened mucro versus a distinctly to slightly excurved cusp in C. confertus. This species and the beak-rush Rhynchospora depressirostris, are sedges endemic to the white sand areas of the Manati-Vega Baja area, north-central Puerto Rico. This is an area of high diversity where other rare and endemic plants are known to occur as well.