Journal of
Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 June 2025 | 17(6): 27075–27086
ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) | ISSN 0974-7893 (Print)
https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.9570.17.6.27075-27086
#9570 | Received 19 December 2024 | Final received 15 May 2025 | Finally
accepted 14 June 2025
New records and typification
in family Poaceae from western Himalaya, India
Smita Tiwari 1, Dileshwar
Prasad 2, Sangam
Sharma 3, Supriya Tiwari
4 & Priyanka
Agnihotri 5
1,3,5 Plant Diversity, Systematic &
Herbarium Division, CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Rana Pratap
Marg, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226001, India.
1,4 Centre of Advanced Studies in
Botany, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
221005, India.
2 Deparment of Botany, Government Naveen College Makdi, Kondagaon, Chhattisgarh 494226, India.
1 tiwarismita1401@gmail.com, 2
dileshwar1994@gmail.com, 3 sharmasam807@gmail.com, 4 supriyabhu@gmail.com,
5 p.agnihotri@nbri.res.in (corresponding author)
Editor: D.S. Rawat, G.B. Pant University
of Agriculture & Technology Pantnagar, India. Date
of publication: 26 June 2025 (online & print)
Citation: Tiwari, S., D. Prasad, S. Sharma, S. Tiwari
& P. Agnihotri (2025). New records and typification in family Poaceae
from western Himalaya, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 17(6): 27075–27086. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.9570.17.6.27075-27086
Copyright: © Tiwari et al. 2025. Creative Commons Attribution
4.0 International License. JoTT allows unrestricted
use, reproduction, and distribution of this article in any medium by providing
adequate credit to the author(s) and the source of publication.
Funding: CSIR For fellowship.
Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.
Author details: Smita Tiwari is a Ph.D. student in the PDSH Division, CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI), and is also affiliated with the Department of Botany, Banaras Hindu University, India. Her research focuses on the distribution and diversity of the subfamily Chloridoideae (Poaceae) in the Western Himalaya. Dileshwar Prasad is an assistant professor in the Department of Botany, Government Naveen College, Makdi, District Kondagaon, India. His research interests lie in the taxonomy and systematics of the family Poaceae. He obtained his Ph.D. from CSIR-NBRI. Sangam Sharma is pursuing a Ph.D. jointly from CSIR-NBRI and the Department of Botany, Soban Singh Jeena University, Almora, Uttarakhand. His research is centered on taxonomic studies of the tribe Stipeae (Poaceae) in the Western Himalaya. Supriya Tiwari is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Botany, Banaras Hindu University, India. Priyanka Agnihotri is a Principal Scientist in the PDSH Division, CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI), Lucknow, India.
Author contributions: ST–conceptualization-lead, field survey; Data curation—lead; Investigation—equal; Methodology—equal; Writing - original draft-lead. DP—formal analysis-supporting, field survey; Investigation—supporting; Methodology—supporting; Writing—original draft-equal. SS—data curation-equal; Formal analysis—equal; Methodology—equal; Writing—original draft-supporting. SPT—conceptualization-equal; Formal analysis—equal, writing.
Acknowledgements: Authors are thankful to the director of the CSIR-NBRI,
Lucknow, and head, Department of Botany, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India, for providing necessary facilities and; to Dr. Tariq Husain, former scientist of the CSIR-NBRI, India, for his consistent guidance; to the curators of BM, BR, FT, K, LWG, MO, P, and W to access their specimens. We also thank the principal chief conservator of forests (Wildlife) of Uttarakhand for permitting access to the Valley of Flowers National Park and Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary. Authors thank CSIR, New Delhi, for providing a research fellowship. Manuscript Number is CSIR-NBRI_MS/2024/11/09, provided of ethical committees of CSIR-NBRI, Lucknow.
Abstract: In the present study,
authors provide the new geographical records of four species, namely Anthoxanthum flexuosum,
A. horsfieldii, Eragrostis
tenuifolia, and Tripogon
longearistatus for the first time in the western
Himalaya. A detailed taxonomic description, notes on
habitat, morphology, and distribution along with a map are also provided.
Additionally, we designated the lectotype for the name Anthoxanthum
horsfieldii.
Keywords: Anthoxanthum, Chloridoideae, Eragrostis, lectotypification, morphology, Pooideae,
taxonomy, Tripogon.
INTRODUCTION
Poaceae is the
large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering
plants, known as grasses. The family includes the cereal grasses, bamboos, and
the grasses of natural grassland, cultivated lawns and
pasture. It is the fifth largest angiosperm family with 752–855 genera,
11,300–12,379 species (Mabberley 2017; Banki et al. 2025), grows in all continents, up to 5,700 m
elevation, in desert to freshwater and marine habitats (Kellogg
2015). The grass family is considered as a natural group and divided into 12
subfamilies (GPWG 2001; Soreng et al. 2017) out of
which, 10 subfamilies are found in India that contain around 267 genera, and
1,501 species (Kellogg et al. 2020). Poaceae is
dominant in Western Ghats with 600 species belonging to 170 genera, followed by
western Himalaya with ca 583 species from 143 genera, and northeastern India
with ca. 475 species from 145 genera (Shukla 1996). In western Himalaya, Collett (1902) described grasses of Shimla in his “Flora Simlensis”, Stewart (1945; 1967) documented grasses of
northwestern Himalaya and grasses of Kashmir Himalaya; Kachroo
et al. (1977) included Poaceae and other families in
his “Flora of Ladakh”; Aswal
& Mehrotra (1994) provided a detailed account of the family Poaceae from Lahul & Spiti; Kandwal & Gupta (2009)
listed the grasses of Uttarakhand, and Pusalkar &
Singh (2012) studied Flora of Gangotri National Park, and therein documented
the grass flora of that area. In recent years, field investigations
have been carried out by many taxonomists in the western Himalaya. These
investigations have contributed to the discovery of many new species to science
and new records for Indian flora as well as for western Himalaya.
During the revisionary studies of family Poaceae from the western Himalaya, the authors gathered
several fascinating specimens from various localities. After critical studies
of these specimens, perusal of relevant literature, and consultation with
herbarium collections, the new geographic records of Anthoxanthum
flexuosum (Hook.f.) Veldkamp, A. horsfieldii (Kunth ex Benn.) Reeder, Eragrostis
tenuifolia (A. Rich.) Hochst.
ex Steud., and Tripogon
longearistatus Hack. ex Honda in western Himalaya
are reported for the first time based on specimens collected from Uttarakhand,
and Himachal Pradesh. Furthermore, we resolved the ambiguity on nomenclature
type of name A. horsfieldii and designated the
lectotype.
MATERIALS
AND METHODS
Several
field surveys were conducted in the western Himalaya (Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand) from 2019–2024.
All voucher specimens collected were herbarized following herbarium techniques
as described in Jain & Rao (1976), and were
deposited in the LWG herbarium. The taxonomical and nomenclatural analysis were
performed through the consultation of protologues and relevant literature
(e.g., Hooker 1896; Bor 1960; Schouten & Veldkamp 1985; Wu & Phillips 2006), images of type
collections, and online databases such as Tropicos
(2024) & JSTOR (2024). The morphological descriptions are based on
collected specimens, old herbarium specimens and their images from BSD, CAL,
DD, and LWG. For the critical study, specimens were dissected and observed
using a Leica S8 APO stereozoom microscope equipped
with MC 120 HD camera. The distribution map was prepared by using DIVA-GIS
based on geo referenced data (latitudes and longitudes) that were taken during
field trips and from herbarium specimens (Hijmans et
al. 2001). All herbarium codes (acronyms) in this communication are according
to Index Herbariorum (Thiers 2025).
RESULTS
AND DISCUSSION
Taxonomy
and new records
1. Anthoxanthum flexuosum (Hook.f.) Veldkamp, Blumea 30: 347 (1985).
≡Hierochloe flexuosa Hook.f., Fl. Brit. India 7: 222 (1896)
Type:
[INDIA], Sikkim, Bijean, 1889, King’s collector s.n. (holo. K000032281, digital
image!).
Habit
perennial, rhizomatous, 50–80 cm tall. Culms 60–75 cm long. Leaf sheath smooth.
Leaf blade 5–10 cm long, 0.40–0.44 cm wide. Ligule 3.3–3.6 mm long, smooth;
apex obtuse, erose. Panicle, 5–14 cm long, 5–8 cm
wide, very lax, flexuous, branched: lower panicle branch paired, 5.0–7.5 cm
long, capillary, spiculate on upper 1/3–1/2. Spikelets
6.0–6.8 mm long, 3.4–3.8 mm wide, laterally compressed, brownish; glumes
subequal, first and second florets male, upper floret bisexual. Lower glumes
4.1–4.9 mm long, 1.8–2.0 mm wide, 3-nerved, 1-keeled, lanceolate, glabrous;
apex acute. Upper glumes 4.7–5.5 mm long, 2.2–2.4 mm wide, 3-nerved, 1-keeled,
lanceolate, glabrous; apex acute. First floret male: callus scanty hairy; hairs
0.5–0.7 mm long, lemma 4.6–5.3 mm long, 5-nerved, 1-keeled, narrowly elliptic,
villous with golden-brownish hairs, shortly awned; palea 3.5–4.2 mm long, villous on upper 1/3; apically
slightly bifid or with 2-toothed; awn 1.2–3.2 mm long, straight, inserted above
the middle, proceeding above the florets and glumes; anthers 1.0–1.5 mm long.
Second floret male: callus scanty hairy; hairs 0.5–0.7 mm long, lemma 4.6–5.8
mm long, 5-nerved, 1-keeled, narrowly elliptic, villous with golden-brownish
hairs, awned, apically bifid; palea
2.9–4.3 mm long, villous on upper 1/3; awn 5.6–7.2 mm long, geniculate,
inserted around the middle or at lower 2/3, conspicuously exceeding above the
florets and glumes; anthers 1.0–1.5 mm long. Upper floret bisexual: callus
glabrous, lemma 2.8–4.1 mm long, 5-nerved, 1-keeled, villous with golden-brownish
hairs on upper half, not anwed; palea
2.3–3.3 mm long, villous at apex, 1-nerved; lodicules-2; ovary glabrous;
stamens-3, anthers 1.0–1.2 mm long (Image 1 & Image 3A).
Flowering
and fruiting: July–November.
Habitat
and distribution: Anthoxanthum flexuosum was previously known
from type locality, Bijean in Sikkim and considered
an endemic species of that area (Bor 1960). Extensive
investigations revealed that it is also found in western Himalaya, where it was
collected from Manali, Himachal Pradesh. During the revision of specimens we have located one more specimen of A. flexuosumat K
(K003585835), which was collected from Nepal. It is, perhaps, one of the rare
species of Anthoxanthum, distributed from
western to central and eastern Himalaya, and grows in dry, and sunny places on
the Agrostis-Festuca-Poa grassland at
3,400–4,800 m (Image 7).
Notes: The
genus Anthoxanthum belongs to subtribe Anthoxanthinae (Pooideae, Poeae) (Soreng et al. 2022). Anthoxanthum species produce coumarin, which makes
them sweetly scented (Kellogg 2015). Anthoxanthum
flexuosum was originally described as Hierochloe flexuosa by
Hooker (1896) based on specimens collected from Bijean,
Sikkim by King’s collector. While searching the original material, we have
located single specimens at K (K000032281), and the same was also cited as
holotype (holo., n.v.) by Veldkamp (1985). It is characterised
by having panicle lax & loose, lower & upper glumes 3-nerved, subequal
and acuminate, first & second florets male, and upper floret bisexual,
lemma villous with golden hairs, awn of second lemma geniculate and 5.6–7.2 mm long, anthers 1.0–1.2
mm long. It is similar to the A. laxum by having lax panicle with spreading branches and
glumes subequal, but differ from later by its lower
and upper glumes 3-nerved (vs 1-nerved), and awn of second lemma geniculate,
and 5.6–7.2 mm long (vs straight and 2–3 mm long).
Specimens
examined: A. flexuosum: INDIA. Himachal
Pradesh, Manali, between Marhi & Rohtang, 32.354° N, 77.224° E, 3,400 m, 30.viii.2021,
R.Yadav, S.Sharma & S.Tiwari 339400 (LWG!); A. laxum:
INDIA. Uttarakhand, Bageshwar, Pindari
Valley, 3 km after Dwali, 30.196° N, 79.999° E, 2,810
m, 28.ix.2021, D.Prasad
& S.Sharma 339363 (LWG); A. odoratum: INDIA. Jammu & Kashmir, Baramulla, Nathatop, 33.078° N, 75.321° E, 2,200 m, 18.vii.2019, S.Jaiswal, R.Yadav
& S.Tripathi 316393 (LWG!); Himachal Pradesh, Kullu, Kothi, 32.3186° N, 77.1936° E, 2,545 m,
04.viii.2019, D.Prasad & R.Yadav
316218 (LWG!).
2. Anthoxanthum horsfieldii (Kunth ex Benn.) Reeder, J. Arnold Arbor. 24: 325 (1950).
≡Ataxia
horsfieldii Kunth ex
Benn., Pl. Jav. Rar. (Bennett) 8 (1838)
=Hierochloe clarkei Hook.f., Fl. Brit. India 7: 223 (1896); Bor, Fl. Assam 5:
167 (1940)
≡Anthoxanthum clarkei
(Hook.f.) Ohwi, Bull. Tokyo Sc.
Mus. 18: 8 (1947); Bor, Grasses Burma, Ceylon, India,
Pakistan 431 (1960); Jain & Pal, J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 72: 94 (1975).
Type: India, Meghalaya, Khashi Hills, Lailan Kote, 1,675 m, C.B. Clarke
s.n. (holo. K).
Type
(lectotype): [INDONESIA]. Java, Loekot, Skoland jane, T. Horsfield 339 (lecto. BM000797885, isolecto.
BM000797886; L0043611, digital images!), step-I designated by Schouten & Veldkamp (1985), step-II designated here.
Habit
perennial, rhizomatous with creeping and branching rhizome, 60–100 cm high.
Culm 40–75 cm long, simple or branched. Node glabrous. Leaf sheaths
split-overlapping, smooth; margin hairy. Ligules 2.0–3.9 mm long, membranous,
glabrous; apex truncate, lacerate. Leaf blades 15–25 cm long, 5–10 mm wide,
flat, adaxial scabrous, abaxial glabrous or scaberulous, flaccid, aromatic,
margin scabrid. Panicle 4.5–10.6 cm long, 0.7–2.2 cm
wide, elliptic in outline, continuous or interrupted at basal part, branched,
nodding; lower branch in whorls of 2, branch smooth, 2–3 cm long, ascending,
bearing 5–15 spikelet. Rachis obscure, smooth. Spikelet 5.2–7.8 mm long,
1.9–2.4 mm wide, lanceolate, bearing 2-sterile floret and 1-fertile floret,
short rachilla between sterile floret; glumes persistent, unequal; lower
sterile floret dissimilar, compressed, barren, without significant palea; upper fertile floret bisexual. Lower glume 3.0–4.5
mm long, 1.0–1.2 mm wide, 1-veined, 1-keeled, elliptic, navicular; apex acute;
hyaline margin, smooth. Upper glume 4.6–7.8 mm long, 1.9–2.2 mm wide, 3-nerved,
1-keeled, obovate, navicular, glabrous; apex acute; margin hyaline. First
floret sterile: lemma floret 5.0–5.7 mm long, 5-nerved, 1-keeled, membranous,
compressed, conduplicate, pubescent, golden hairs on all over surface, awned; apex acute; margin narrowly hyaline, ciliate; awn
1.6–2.0 mm long, inserted above the middle on dorsal surface, straight,
scabrous-antrorse. Second floret sterile: lemma 4.8–5.3 mm long, 1-nerved,
1-keeled, membranous, compressed, pubescent, golden hairs on all over surfaces,
awned; apex acute; margin narrowly hyaline, ciliate;
awn 7.5–8.4 mm long, geniculate, inserted from above middle on dorsal surface,
scabrous-antrorse, column 2.3–2.5 mm long, twisted, subula
6.2–6.4 mm long. Upper floret bisexual: lemma 2.4–3.3 mm long, 5-nerved,
without keel, lateral nerve obscure, oblong, rounded, smooth; palea 2.2–3.3 mm long, 1-nerved, linear, membranous;
stamens-3, anthers 1.8–3.2 mm long, ovary glabrous; lodicules absent. (Image 2
& Image 3B)
Flowering
and fruiting: August–September.
Habitat
and distribution: Anthoxanthum horsfieldii is a common grass
of southeastern Asia, known from China, Japan, Myanmar, Malesia, Taiwan,
Philippines to the Thailand (Schouten & Veldkamp
1985; Wu & Phillips 2006). Along with these, the distributional ranges are
also extended to the Khasi Hills and the Western Ghats, India (Hooker 1896; Bor 1960). In the present study, we recorded the new
localities of A. horsfieldii in the Garhwal Himalaya, Uttarakhand which expanded its distribution
range to the western Himalaya. It grows mainly in sunny, dry places, Casuarina
forest, and subalpine grassland; at 1,400–3,300 m in the Java Island, Indonesia
(Schouten & Veldkamp 1985), on mountainous,
grassy, and sunny or shaded places; at 2,500–3,300 m in China (Wu &
Phillips 2006); forest margins, dry, and sunny places; at ca. 1,800 m in the
western Himalaya (Image 7).
Notes: Kunth (1829) published the name Ataxia horsfieldii without any description, regarded as
a descriptogenerico-specifica, based on
specimens collected by Horsfield from Java
(Indonesia), which was mentioned in Brown (1823) as “399.Horsfield”. However,
the name was invalid. Bennett & Brown (1838) then validated and confirmed
as already observed by Chase (1943), even though she believed Horsefield to be the original author. Maximowicz
(1888) and Mez (1921) transferred it into genera Hierochloë and Anthoxanthum,
respectively. The combination, proposed by Mez
(1921), was invalid as it was merely referred to Kunth
for his basionym (see Veldkamp
1985). Later, it seems to be validated by Reeder (1950) as he referred to Chase
(1943), and indirectly to Bennett & Brown (1838).
During the
systematic study of A. horsfieldii, we noticed
that Schouten & Veldkamp (1985) unintentionally
referred two specimens and lectotypified the name A.
horsfieldii. Thus it
requires a second-step lectotypification in
accordance with Art. 9.17 of ICN (Turland et al.
2018). Schouten & Veldkamp (1985) referring to
the type of A. horsfieldii wrote “Type: Horsfield 339 (BM, holo.
(holotype), K, P) Java”. There are two specimens of Horsfield
339 at BM (BM000797885 and BM000797886). According to Art. 9.17 of ICN (Turland et al. 2018), the type citation by Veldkamp & Schouten should be considered as first step
of lectotypification, as they did not designate any
particular specimen from both the specimen for the name A. horsfieldii. Therefore, for the stability of the name A.
horsfieldii, a subsequent typification
is warranted to resolve this nomenclatural ambiguity. Therefore, from the two
specimens of Horsfield 339 at BM, the best-preserved
specimen BM000797885 is designated here as the second-step lectotype of the
name A. horsfieldii, and the other specimen
BM000797886 as the isolectotype. Moreover, the other
syntype is also traced at L, which could also be regarded as an isolectotype.
Specimens
examined: INDIA. Uttarakhand, Chamoli, Nagnath-Pokhari, 30.329° N, 79.209° E, 1,800 m,
28.viii.2019, S. Jaiswal 326992 (LWG!).
3. Eragrostis tenuifolia (A.
Rich.) Hochst. ex Steud.,
Syn. Pl. Glumac. 1: 268 (1854).
Poa tenuifolia A. Rich., Tent. Fl. Abyss. 2: 425
(1850–1851).
Type
(lectotype): [ETHIOPIA], in locisincultis Valliumprope Adoam, 18.ix.1837, Schimper 92 (P), designated by Phillips (1995).
Habit
perennial, mat forming, tufted, 10–62 cm long. Culms 6–50 cm long. Leaf sheaths
3–10 cm long, mouth bearded. Ligule’s fringe of cilia. Leaf blades 6–28 cm
long, 0.2–0.5 cm wide, linear to lanceolate, adaxial surface scabrid to sparsely ciliate, abaxial surface glabrous. Panicles
4–12 cm long, 2.5–5.0 cm wide, broadly ovate, open with alternate branches;
axils ciliate, at maturity glandular in the axils; pedicels 3–7 mm long,
glandular. Spikelets 4–12 mm long, 0.9–2.1 mm wide,
6–13 flowered, lanceolate to oblong, with serrulate margins, greenish black or
grey; rachilla zigzag; florets closely imbricate, disarticulating from below
upwards. Glumes ovate to lanceolate, often nerveless or nerve obscure, apex
acute to obtuse. Lower glumes 0.3–0.7 mm long, 0.2–0.3 mm wide. Upper glume
0.8–1.2 mm long, 0.4–0.6 mm wide. Lemmas 1.5–2.1 mm long, 0.9–1.2 mm wide,
elliptic-lanceolate, chartaceous, 3-nerved, 1-keeled, keel scabrid
above middle; apex acute to mucronate. Paleas 1.4–1.8
mm long, 0.3–0.6 mm wide, persistent, elliptic to oblanceolate, 2-nerved,
2-keeled, scaberulous along keels, apex obtuse to truncate. Anthers-3, 0.6–1.0
mm long, cream-coloured. Caryopses 0.7–1.2 mm long,
c. 0.8 mm wide, ellipsoid to oblongoid, ventrally
flattened to grooved, truncate at ends, deep reddish. (Image 4
& Image 5)
Flowering
and fruiting: March–October
Habitat
and distribution: Eragrostis tenuifolia is native to
Indochina, southern Asia, Madagascar, and tropical Africa, and was introduced
in Mexico (Villasefior & Espinosa-Garcia 2004),
Australia, Malesia, New Guinea, Philippines, and southern America (Veldkamp 2002). Since it is a widely spreading grass, the
first author saw it in Forest Research Institute (FRI) campus, and on the way
to Mussoorie, Dehradun. During the study of old
collections of family Poaceae, it is found that
previously it was also collected from Rudraprayag in
2018. In India, it is commonly found in association with E. nigra (Vivek et al. 2021). At
highland and montane elevations of 500–2,500 m, it is frequently growing as a
weed, and ruderal in the wet zone, particularly beside roadsides, and in woods
and wastelands (Moulik 1997).
Earlier in
India, it was reported from Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Daman & Diu, Gujarat,
Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Odisha,
Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal (Kellogg 2020; Prasanna et
al. 2020), and recently also recorded from Telangana (Jalander
& Swamy 2023) (Image 7).
Notes: Eragrostis tenuifolia
has open panicle with bearded axils; a large, dark, serrate spikelets
with a relatively short nerveless lower glume; a floret with widely divergent
lemma and palea; a lemma with submarginal
usually short lateral nerves; a 3-lobed palea; creamy
anthers and strongly flattened caryopsis that is often exposed that
distinguished it from rest of the Indian species. It shows similarity with E.
curvula (Schrad.) Nees, E. pilosiuscula Ohwi and E. pilosa (L.) P.Beauv. by its open panicle and
long axil hairs but differs from E. curvula by
its serrate margins of the spikelets, ventrally
flattened to grooved caryopsis (vs dorsal-ventrally compressed caryopses) and
anthers 0.6–0.9 mm long (vs 0.9–1.25 mm long), and from E. pilosa by its caryopsis (laterally flattened in E. pilosa). E. tenuifolia is
similar to E. ferruginea (Thunb.)
P.Beauv. in its caryopses,
however in E. ferruginea sheath margins and
the axils of the inflorescence are glabrous, not pilose. Similar to E. nigra Nees ex Steud., this species often has dark green spikelets but differs by having more narrowly lanceolate spikelets and toothed lemma.
Specimens
examined: INDIA. Uttarakhand, Rudraprayag, Jakholi, 30.273° N, 78.962° E, 657 m, 27.ix.
2018, S. Tripathi 315817 (LWG!); same locality, 30.273° N, 78.963° E,
660 m, 27.ix.2018, S. Tripathi 315819 (LWG!); New forest (FRI campus),
30.342° N, 77.997° E, 681 m, 27 April 2024, S. Tiwari 346552 (LWG!);
same locality, 30.346° N, 77.593° E, 685 m, 27 April 2024, S. Tiwari 346553 (LWG!);
same locality, 30.345° N, 78.000° E, 694 m, 27.iv.2024, S. Tiwari 346554 (LWG!);
way to Mussoorie, 30.443° N, 78.087° E, 1,662 m,
28.iv.2024, S. Tiwari 346555 (LWG!); same locality, 30.449° N, 78.082°
E, 1,843 m, 28.iv.2024, S. Tiwari 346557 (LWG!).
4. Tripogon longearistatus Hack. ex
Honda, Bot. Mag. Tokyo 41: 11 (1927).
≡Tripogon longearistatus Nakai, Veg. Isl. Quelpaert:
19: 147 (1914), nom. nud.
=Tripogon longearistatus Honda var. japonicas Honda, Bot. Mag., Tokyo 41: 12
(1927).
Type (lectotype): KOREA, Cheju-do, Quelpaert, 1908, Taquet 3425 (lecto. TI [TI00016318 digital image!], designated
by Vivek et al. (2021).
Habit
Perennials, 7–20 cm high. Culms 5–12 cm, erect; leaf sheaths 3–8 cm long,
glabrous. Ligules ciliolate membranous. Leaf blades 3–16 cm long, c. 0.1
cm wide, linear, convolute, glabrous or scabrid
adaxially and glabrous abaxially; apex acuminate. Panicle 5–15 cm long,
slightly flexuous, spikelets loosely arranged in
rachis; distant by their own length. Spikelets 4–10
mm long, 1.0–1.5 mm wide, linear to lanceolate, pale green, 4–7 flowered.
Callus bearded. Rachilla 0.4–0.8 mm long, straight or zig zag. Lower glumes
2.8–4.3 mm long, 0.5–0.7 mm wide, 1-nerved, 1-keeled, linear-lanceolate,
slightly toothed on one side, apex sub-acute to acute. Upper glumes 3.5–5.2 mm
long 0.5–0.7 mm wide, 1-nerved, 1-keeled, lanceolate-oblong, apex acuminate or
mucronate. Lemmas 2.5–4.8 mm long, 0.5–0.8 mm wide to sinus, 3-nerved,
elliptic-lanceolate, apex bifid; median awn 4.5–8.3 mm long, scabrid, reflexed, teeth absent; lateral veins 0.1–0.2 mm
long, awns arising from outer margins. Paleas 2.5–3.0
mm long, 0.4–0.6 mm wide, 2-keeled, lanceolate, hyaline, not winged, keels
ciliolate, apex truncate. Stamen 1, anther 1–1.2 mm long. Ovary 0.2–0.5 mm long
(Image 6).
Flowering
and Fruiting: September–December
Habitat
and distribution: The native range of Tripogon
longearistatus is China, Japan, and Korea. In
India, it was previously reported from Meghalaya and Sikkim. It is a perennial
species and grows primarily on rocky slopes, and also on riverbeds at an
altitude of 300–1,500 m (Thoiba & Pradeep 2020).
We report it from
Nainital, Uttarakhand which represents the new geographic record
in the western Himalaya (Image 7).
Notes: Tripogon longearistatus
shares similarities with T. filiformis Nees ex Steud., in its habit but
can easily be distinguished by its widely spaced long spikelets
(vs closely imbricate spikelets) with stiff strongly
reflexed awns, lateral awns absent or if present then only about 0.1–0.2 mm
long, extension of lemma lateral nerves, (vs lateral awns 1–4 mm long), lemma
2- lobed with lemma teeth absent (vs lemma 4-lobed with lemma teeth 0.3–0.7 mm
long), and having solitary anther. The higher altitude form of T. filiformis having median awn twice as long as the lemma, lateral awns
half the size of median awn, and possesses only one anther (Phillips & Chen
2002) . Lower altitudes form have very short lateral
awns having three anthers (Noltie 2000). There is
little overlap in their geographical range. According to Phillips & Chen
(2002), T. longearistatus is limited to the
eastern lowlands, whereas T. filiformis is
found at high elevations in China. T. filiformis is
characterized by its filiform, lax, and densely pilose leaves on both surfaces.
However, in T. longearistatus, leaf blade is scabrid adaxially, and glabrous abaxially.
Specimen
examined: INDIA. Uttarakhand, Nainital, on way to DSB campus, 29.655° N,
79.762° E, 1,968 m, 31.ix.2018, S. Tripathi 315910 (LWG!).
For
images - - click here for full PDF
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