Uncinia Pers. (Cyperaceae) in the Hawaiian Islands

Abstract

The Hawaiian Islands contain two species of Uncinia (Cyperaceae): Uncinia uncinata, with glabrous utricles, occurs at high elevations in Hawai'i, Maui, Moloka'i, and Kaua'i, and is the most common species in New Zealand; U. brevicaulis, with hirsute -strigose utricles, is rare and previously unreported from Hawai'i. It otherwise occurs in the Juan Fernandez, Falkland, and Tristan da Cunha islands, western Chile, and Argentina. Uncinia uncinta var. uliginosa is not recognized as significantly distinct. The Hawaiian species are not considered taxonomically distinct from plants in their respective home areas. The occurrence of both species in the Hawaiian Islands is considered the product of separate long-distance dispersal events involving birds.