Eleocharis konkanensis Chandore, Borude, Kambale & S.R.Yadav, 2016

Chandore, Arun N., Borude, Devidas B., Kambale, Sharad S. & Yadav, Shrirang R., 2016, Eleocharis konkanensis, a new species of Cyperaceae from the Konkan region of Western Ghats, India, Phytotaxa 252 (2), pp. 154-158 : 154-155

Eleocharis konkanensis Chandore, Borude, Kambale & S.R.Yadav , sp.nov. ( Fig. 1 & 2 )

Eleocharis konkanensis Chandore, Borude, Kambale & S.R.Yadav is similar to Eleocharis setifolia (A.Rich) Raynal , but differs in its pentangular stem (as against quadrangular), basal tubers absent (as against tubers present), papillae present on surface of achene (as against smooth surface) and 2–5 hypogynous bristles (as against bristles absent). Other differences between E. konkanensis Chandore, Borude, Kambale & S.R.Yadav and E. setifolia (A.Rich) Raynal are listed in Table 1.

Type: — INDIA, Maharashtra, Ratnagiri District, Rajapur, on the way of Sakar-Jaitapur road, 16° 35’231’’N, 73°24’712’’E, 200–300 ft, 7 July 2015, A. N.Chandore 1921 (holotype CAL!, isotypes BSI!, K!, SUK!).

Perennial herbs. Rhizome short, 0.5–1 cm long with fibrous roots. Culms densely tufted, up to 20 per plant, erect, slender, 5-angled, 5–15 cm in height, 0.4–0.7 mm in diam., pale green; sheath 2 per stem, membranous, yellowish to light brown, outer sheath 0.5–0.9 cm long; inner 1.2–3 cm long, oblique at mouth, sheath apex acute. Spikelet placed oblique at the tip of culm, ovate to subcylindrical, 3–5.5 × 0.6–1.8 mm, distinctly wider than the culms, terete, acute, densely many flowered, straw brown; rachilla persistent. Glumes up to 70 per spikelet; lower glume sterile, ovate–obovate, 0.6–1 × 0.4–0.6 mm, midrib green, the margin membranous; fertile glumes ovate to elliptic, 1.0–1.5 × 0.5–0.7 mm, cartilaginous, closely imbricate, deciduous at maturity, convolute when dry, acute at apex, scarious along margins, mid-nerve prominent. Hypogynous bristles 2 to 5, unequal, shorter than achene, smooth or with retrorse barbs at upper half (a few may be retrorse or antrorse), linear, flat, gradually narrowed upwards, slightly connate at base, white or translucent, 0.3–0.5 mm long. Stamens 1 or 2; anthers linear, 0.3–0.5 mm long, brown; filament up to 1.3 mm long, translucent or whitish. Style 3-branched, ca. 0.9 mm long; style–base decurrent on the shoulders on achene, articulate with a distinctly upturned rim, persistent on the nut, ca. 0.2 × 0.2 mm, as wide as the narrowed annular apex, light brown to gray, smooth; stigmas 3, ca. 0.6 mm long, scaberulous. Achene obovate–obovoid, 3-costate, distinctly trigonous, 0.5–0.7 × 0.3–0.4 mm (excluding style–base), papillae present on surface, narrowed at base, greenish or light brown at maturity.

Distribution: — India: Maharashtra; Konkan region, Sindhudurg district—Vaibhvwadi; Ratnagiri district—Barsu, Hativale, Jaitapur, Rajapur.

Habitat: — Eleocharis konkanensis grows on lateritic plateaus of Konkan along the edges of natural ponds and road side at an elevation of about 200–300 ft from MSL in associations with Cyperus pulchellus Brown (1810: 213) , Eleocharis atropurpurea (Retzius) Presl & Presl (1826: 196) (= Scirpus atropurpureus Retzius (1789: 14) , Habenaria grandifloriformis Blatter & McCann (1932: 17) , Utricularia reticulata Smith (1808: 119) , Trithuria konkanensis Yadav & Janarthanam (1994: 18) etc.

Phenology: —Flowering and Fruiting: June–July

Etymology: —The specific epithet is given after the region of occurrence i.e. the Konkan.

Additional specimens examined (Paratypes):— INDIA, Maharashtra, Ratnagiri District, Rajapur Tahsil, Barsu, 9 July 2015, A.N.Chandore 1927 (SUK!), Hativale, 10 July 2015, A.N.Chandore 1929 (SUK!), Abasaheb Marathe College Campus, Vikhare Gothane, 15 July 2015, A.N.Chandore 1930 (SUK!), Sindhudurg District, Vaibhavwadi, 21 July 2015, S.R.Yadav 1020 (SUK!).

Notes: — Eleocharis konkanensis sp.nov. is a perennial ephemeral herb. It sprouts with first showers of rains and by the end of June starts flowering. It completes fruit setting in 20-25 days and by end of July glumes and achenes of spikelets drop down. By the time Eleocharis atropurpurea and Fimbristylis species take over and become major component of monsoon vegetation. Thus, due to short life span taxonomists might have failed to collect the species or taken it for very similar species E. atropurpurea .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Eleocharis konkanensis Chandore, Borude, Kambale & S.R.Yadav, A. Habit. B. Spikelet with stigmas and anthers. C. T. S. of culm. D. Spikelet with culm. E. Glumes. F. Flower. G. Achenes. H. Achenes with perianth bristles. I. SEM photograph of achene surface. Photos by A.N.Chandore & S.R.Yadav

FIGURE 2. Eleocharis konkanensis Chandore, Borude, Kambale & S.R.Yadav, (Chandore 1921) A. Habit. B. Spikelet. C. Glume. D. Achene. E. T. S. of culm.