Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 July 2025 | 17(7): 27316–27320

ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) | ISSN 0974-7893 (Print)

https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.9626.17.7.27316-27320

#9626 | Received 16 January 2025 | Final received 03 April 2025 | Finally accepted 25 June 2025

Acrospelion alpestre (Aveneae: Poaceae) in India: a new generic record from northwestern Himalaya

Kuntal Saha ^{1 ,} Manoj Chandran ^{2 ,} Ranjana Negi ³ & Saurabh Guleri ⁴

^{1,4 Department} of Botany, Shri Guru Ram Rai University, Patel Nagar, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248001, India.

² Indian Forest Service, Uttarakhand Forest Department, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248001, India.

^1,3 Systematic Botany Discipline, Forest Botany Division, Forest Research Institute (FRI), Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248006, India.

¹ kuntalsaha121@gmail.com, ² machanifs@gmail.com, ³ ranjananegi.icfre@gmail.com, ⁴ saurabhguleri@sgrru.ac.in (corresponding author)

Editor: Shiny Mariam Rehel, Keystone Foundation, Kotagiri, India. Date of publication: 26 July 2025 (online & print)

Citation: Saha, K., M. Chandran, R. Negi & S. Guleri (2025). Acrospelion alpestre (Aveneae: Poaceae) in India: a new generic record from northwestern Himalaya. Journal of Threatened Taxa 17(7): 27316–27320. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.9626.17.7.27316-27320

Copyright: © Saha 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: University Grants Commission, New Delhi, India [UGC Ref No-211610009488/Joint CSIR-UGC NET June 2021].

Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Acknowledgements: The authors also extend heartfelt thankful to Professor Anzar Ahmad Khuroo from Centre for Biodiversity & Taxonomy, Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, for his valuable suggestions to this study. The first author (Kuntal Saha) expresses sincere gratitude for the financial support received through a fellowship (UGC Ref No-211610009488/Joint CSIR-UGC NET June 2021) from the University Grants Commission, New Delhi, India.

Botanical explorations focused on collecting grass species have enhanced the understanding of Indian grasses (Saha et al. 2024). The scarcity of recent floristic studies and limited documentation on India’s grass flora hinders the understanding, resulting in a large number of species remaining unrecorded to date, and their morphological features insufficiently described (Jacobs et al. 1999).

Floristic documentation was carried out from 2022 to 2024 across a range of habitats, from the lesser Himalaya to alpine meadows, in the northwestern Himalaya, covering regions such as Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, and Jammu & Kashmir. These surveys facilitated the documentation of the genus Acrospelion (Besser) [Lectotype = Acrospelion distichophyllum (Vill.) (Barberá)]. Specimen collection, preservation, and preparation followed the standard herbarium method (Jain & Rao 1977). The herbarium specimen has been deposited at the Forest Research Institute, Dehradun (DD).

The genus Trisetum Pers. was first described by Christiaan Hendrik Persoon in 1805 with 11 species (Barberá et al. 2018), comprising both perennial and annual grasses, and no type specimen was designated at that time (Hara & Yü 1983). In 1827, Wilibald Swibert Joseph Gottlieb von Besser proposed new classification based on habit, retaining the annual species within Trisetum and transferring the perennials to a newly proposed genus, Acrospelion Besser (Baum 1968). This genus initially encompassed seven taxa (Aira subspicata L., Avena flavescens L., Avena rigida M. Bieb., Avena argentea Willd., Avena distichophylla Vill., Avena brevifolia Host., and Avena alpestris Host., and was characterized by compound, spreading panicle; compressed, two–three-flowered spikelets; keeled, unequal glumes that are shorter than the florets; lower glume with one nerve and upper glume with three nerves; a bifid lemma with awn emerging from the split, folded, and flexible; seeds (caryopsis) that are covered and grooved. No formal taxonomic combinations were made, and no type specimen was designated at that time (Hara & Yü 1983). Later, Chrtek (1965) also divided the genus Trisetum in five sections: T. sect. Carpatica, T. sect. Hispanica, T. sect. Rigida, T. sect. Trisetaera, and T. sect. Trisetum (Barberá et al. 2017b). Subsequently, Pfeiffer (1871–1873) reclassified Acrospelion as a section, replacing T. sect. Rigida. Due to its earlier publication, the epithet Acrospelion takes precedence over Rigida at the sectional rank. Trisetum sect. Acrospelion is characterized by distichous young shoots, rigid or loosely tufted habit, panicles ranging from lax to slightly dense, unequal to subequal glumes, and the presence of long hairs on the rachilla segments between florets, and on the callus (Barberá et al. 2017a). Recently, Acrospelion has been expanded to encompass 13 species (WCVP 2025) following the inclusion of taxa previously classified in Trisetum sect. Trisetum and Trisetum sect. Acrospelion, and Acrospelion distichophyllum designated as the type specimen (Pfeiffer 1871). The recent phylogenetic study by Barberá et al. (2024) has revived and reinforced the recognition of the genus by analysing plastid DNA sequences from the rpl32-trnL, rps16-trnK, rps16 intron, and ITS regions. The genus belongs to the subtribe Aveninae (Clayton & Renvoize 1986), under the tribe Aveneae (Bor 1960), within the subfamily Pooideae of family Poaceae.

The taxonomic identification of the collected grass specimens were confirmed as Acrospelion alpestre (Host) Barberá & Quintanar, a European grass, through examination of specimens from Natural History Museum herbarium (BM), Meise Botanic Garden herbarium (BR), Forest Research Institute herbarium (DD), Royal Botanic Gardens herbarium (K), Naturalis Biodiversity Center herbarium (L), Oberösterreichische Landeskultur GmbH herbarium (LI), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle herbarium (P), and Naturhistorisches Museum Wien herbarium (W) (acronyms as per Thiers 2024), as well as a review of type specimens (W18850002400 & W0024994), protologues (Host 1805), and pertinent taxonomic literature (Bor 1960; Finot et al. 2006; Barberá et al. 2017a,b, 2018). This species is characterized by spikelets with two–three florets, subequal or shorter upper glumes, keeled lemmas where geniculate or slightly curved awns inserted on the upper one-third; lemma apex bidentate with intermediate nerves prolonged into setae; callus obtuse, scarious to hyaline paleas, and glabrous or sparsely trichome-covered ovaries near the apex (Finot et al. 2006; Barberá et al. 2020; Barberá et al. 2024). Notably, Acrospelion represents a new generic record for the flora of India (Prasanna et al. 2020; Kellogg et al. 2020). Overall, A. alpestre marks its first occurrence in southern Asia, as previous studies have not documented its presence in literature (Bor 1960; Barberá et al. 2018, 2024; POWO 2024).

A detailed description of the species has been provided, accompanied by colour photographs depicting specimens in their natural habitat (Image 1), photo plate (Image 2), and map of collection sites (Figure 1), which was created using QGIS version 3.36.2.

Taxonomic treatment

Acrospelion alpestre (Host) Barberá & Quintanar, J. Syst. Evol. x: [19 of 27] (2024). Trisetum alpestre (Host) P. Beauv. in Ess. Agrostogr.: 88 (1812).

Avena alpestris Host, Icon. Descr. Gram. Austriac. 3: 27, t. 39 (1805).

Lectotype: Austria. N.T. Host s.n. (W18850002400!; isolectotype: W0024994!). Lectotype designated by Barberá et al. in taxonomic revision of Trisetum 358. 2018.

Perennial, caespitose. Culms 18.6–31 cm × 0.2–0.8 cm, glabrous, erect, smooth, glabrous; 2–4 nodes, glabrous. Leaf sheaths 4–11 cm × 0.3–0.5 cm, smooth, sparsely pilose. Ligule 1.9–2.3 mm, dentate, with scattered ciliate. Leaf blades 6–21 cm × 0.3–0.4 cm, flat, inrolled in dried, greenish, sparsely pubescent abaxially, pubescent adaxially, apex acuminate. Panicles 5.5–12 × 1–2.5 cm, lax, narrowly oblong, very effuse, greenish-yellow, shining; basal node glabrous; rachis up to 2 cm, sparsely scabrid; branches semi-whorled at lower node, 0.7–1.5 cm. Spikelets 0.5–1.7 × 0.1–0.3 cm (including awns), 2–4-floret, laterally compressed, oblanceolate; disarticulating at maturity; pedicel 0.4–0.7 cm, scabrid. Lower glume 3.1–4 mm, elliptic to oblong or lanceolate, glabrous, one-nerved, hyaline margins, apex acute. Rachilla 0.9–1.5 mm, densely ciliate. Upper glumes 4.6–5.8 mm, oval-lanceolate, membranous, three-nerved, glabrous, apex acuminate. Lemmas 4.5–5.5 mm, glabrous, shining, narrowly to broadly lanceolate, bifid, teeth conspicuous, awned, scabrous toward apex; awn 4.5–8 mm, arising from upper 1/3 of lemmas, bent or straight, very slightly twisted at base, scabrid; callus ciliate, trichomes up to 0.5 mm. Paleas 3.5–4.8 mm, narrowly elliptical hyaline, elliptic, glabrous, scabrid margins. Lodicules 0.5–0.7 mm, glabrous, apex bilobed. Anthers 2–2.5 mm, yellowish. Ovary 0.6–0.8 mm, densely pubescent, scattered hairs at apex.

Flowering and fruiting: July–October.

Habitat: Along roadsides and in open, dry habitats with sandy, and neutral soils, as well as sunny meadows, at elevations ranging from 2100–3700 m.

Distribution: India [Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Uttarakhand (present report)], Austria, Czechoslovakia, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, Spain, Ukraine, Yugoslavia (POWO 2024).

Specimens examined: 100218(DD), India, Jammu & Kashmir, Srinagar District, Dara, Harwan, Darah rest point, Dara-Haayan WLS, near Scholars’ School, 34.184⁰ N 74.932⁰ E, 2,113 m, 20.ix.2024, coll. Kuntal Saha; 100221(DD), 22.ix.2024, Ganderbal District, Sonamarg, near hotel Snowland Sonamarg, 34.304⁰N 75.289⁰ E, 2,681 m, coll. Kuntal Saha; 100231(DD), 28.ix.2024, Bandipora District, Badwan Wanpora, along the way to Gurez Valley, 34.650⁰ N 74.764⁰ E, 2,457 m, Kuntal Saha; 100229(DD), 22.ix.2024, Ladakh, Kargil District, Zoji La, along the roadsides near the Zoji La war memorial, 34.300⁰ N 75.506⁰E, 3,479 m, coll. Kuntal Saha; 100207(DD), 28.vii.2024, Uttarakhand, Chamoli District, Valley of Flowers, 30.708⁰ N 79.596⁰ E, 3,267 m, coll. Kuntal Saha; 100216(DD), 04.viii.2024, Himachal Pradesh, Chamba District, Pangi Valley, on the Hudan Bhatori, 33.103⁰ N 76.479⁰ E, 3,630 m, coll. Kuntal Saha.

Ethno-botanical notes: Interactions with local villagers in Kashmir Valley, particularly in the Dara region revealed insights into the species’ utilization in daily life. They mentioned that Acrospelion alpestre is not ideal as fodder, as cows and goats seem to have difficulty digesting it. Instead, locals use it to tie bundles of other fodder, as it is resistant to rats, insects, and pests. Additionally, they use it for roofing material for sheds.

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