Bulbostylis neglecta
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Bulbostylis neglecta in flower |
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| ( Hemsl. ) CBClarke |
Bulbostylis neglecta is a rare species of the sour grass family. It is endemic to St. Helena and was only known from the lectotype between 1806 and 2008,collectedby William John Burchell .
features
Bulbostylis neglecta is an annual grass species that reaches heights of 2.5 to 10 centimeters and has small tufts. The five centimeter long leaves are coated and hairy at the base. The inflorescence consists of one to three spikelets in a narrow terminal flower head. The brown glumes are keeled and have five distinct nerves. The flowering time is in July.
Rediscovery and endangerment
In July 1806, William John Burchell discovered the species in dry places in the vicinity of the High Knoll Fort in northwest St. Helena. After that, they were believed to be extinct for over 200 years, until around 4,000 specimens were rediscovered in May 2008 by a team from the South Atlantic Invasive Species Project of the European Union in a remote location near High Hill in the west of the island. Experts from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew then confirmed that it is actually the species believed to be lost. At the same time, the conservationists sounded the alarm that the invasive African grass species Pennisetum setaceum is spreading uncontrollably in the region and could contribute to a renewed disappearance of Bulbostylis neglecta within ten years .
literature
- QCB Cronk: The endemic Flora of St Helena . Anthony Nelson Ltd, Oswestry 2000, ISBN 0904614352 .