Chrysopogon narayanii Sunil, Ratheesh & Sivadasan, 2017

Sunil, C. N., Narayanan, M. K. Ratheesh, Sivadasan, M., Shaju, T., Kumar, V. V. Naveen & Alfarhan, A. H., 2017, A new species of Chrysopogon (Poaceae: Andropogoneae) from India, Phytotaxa 307 (4), pp. 245-253 : 249-252

Chrysopogon narayanii Sunil, Ratheesh & Sivadasan , sp. nov. Figures 1–3 .

Type:— INDIA, Kerala: Kannur District, Madayippara, ± 40 m, 5 December 2014, Sunil & Ratheesh Narayanan 7187 (holotype CAL!, isotype MH!).

Diagnosis:— It resembles C. tadulingamii in its general appearance, but differs by having scabrid-margined puberulous leaf blades, sessile spikelets with a ciliate, acute-tipped, short-awned upper glume, and a short-awned upper lemma; pedicelled spikelets with 7-nerved, awned lower glume and 3-nerved awnless upper glume. The new species also resembles C. asper but differs by having acicular or linear leaf blades, rounded keeless leaf sheaths, sessile spikelets with comparatively short-awned upper glume and the upper lemma, and pedicelled spikelets with short glumes and upper lemma.

Tufted perennials. Culms 40–110 cm tall, erect, slender, glaucous below the node; nodes glabrous. Leaf blades 3–20 × 0.1–0.25 cm, acicular or linear, convolute, base rounded, margins scabrid, acute to acuminate at apex, upper surface puberulous, glabrous at lower surface; leaf sheaths 3–6 cm long, rounded, tightly enclosing culm, persistent; ligule ca. 0.2 mm long, coriaceous, ciliate. Panicle 7–12 cm long, pale greenish; peduncle 9–16 cm long, glabrous; racemes 1–4 cm long, yellow, scabrid. Spikelets dissimilar, in groups of three with a middle sessile spikelet and two lateral pedicelled ones; disarticulation from tip of raceme. Sessile spikelet 5.5–6.5 × 1–1.2 mm, oblong-lanceolate, laterally compressed; callus 1.5–2 mm long, densely bearded with 1.5–2 mm long stiff chocolate-brown hairs. Lower glume 4.5–5.5 × 0.6–0.8 mm, linear-lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, narrowly boat-shaped, margins scabrid, obtuse to retuse at apex, coriaceous, faintly 5-nerved, setose dorsally towards upper half, lower half glabrous. Upper glume 5.5–6 × 1–1.2 mm, oblong-lanceolate, margins hyaline and ciliate, acute and awned at apex, subcoriaceous, hispid dorsally towards upper half, 3-nerved; awn 7–9 mm long, straight or slightly curved, pale yellow, scabrid. Florets 2, both epaleate; lower empty, upper bisexual. Lower lemma 3–4 × 0.4–0.6 mm, linear-oblong, margins long ciliate, acute at apex, membranous, hyaline. Upper lemma 3.5–5 × 0.8–1 mm, linear-lanceolate ending in a very stout awn, delicate and hyaline in the lower half with sparsely ciliate margins, subcoriaceous and rigid in the upper half with sparsely scabrid apex, 3-nerved; awn 40–47 mm long, geniculate, yellowish scabrid, column 18–21 mm long, yellowish-brown bristle 23–26 mm long. Lodicules 2, ca. 0.2 × 0.2 mm, obovate, irregularly lobed at apex. Stamens 3; filaments ca. 2 mm long; anthers 2.5–3 mm long, linear-oblong, bright yellow. Ovary ca. 0.2 × 0.2 mm, subglobose; style 1–1.5 mm long; stigma 1.5–2 mm long, plumose, creamy yellow. Pedicelled spikelets 7–8.5 × 0.8–1 mm, oblong-lanceolate, acute at apex, pale purple; pedicels flat, 3–4 mm long, dilated at the tip, rufous hairy along margins and lower one-third, hairs up to 1 mm long; callus hairs 0.5–1 mm long, yellowish-brown. Lower glume 7.5–8.5 × 1.8–2 mm, lanceolate or elliptic-lanceolate, acuminate, ending in a straight or slightly curved awn, chartaceous, pale purple to hyaline, margins infolded, smooth, pubescent dorsally, 7-nerved; awn 3.5–6 mm long, pale yellow, scabrid, straight or curved. Upper glume 7–8.5 × 1.4–1.6 mm, lanceolate, acute to acuminate at apex, chartaceous, hyaline, margins infolded and retrorsely ciliate, 2-keeled, 3-nerved. Florets 2, both epaleate; lower empty, upper male or empty. Lower lemma 5.5–6.6 × 1–1.2 mm, oblong-lanceolate, margins retrorsely ciliate, acute at apex, membranous, hyaline, 2-nerved, 2- keeled. Upper lemma 3.5–4.5 × 0.7–0.9 mm, oblong or linear-oblong, ciliate along the margins, retuse or bifid at apex, hyaline, membranous, 2-nerved, 2-keeled. Lodicules 2, ca. 0.2 × 0.2 mm, obovate, irregularly lobed at apex. Stamens 3; filaments ca. 2 mm long; anthers 3.5–4.5 mm long, linear-oblong, bright yellow.

Etymology:— The epithet is proposed in honour of Mrs. Narayani who is respectfully called by people of the area as Narayani Amma and she has been protecting a natural bird sanctuary for the migrating birds over the past few decades near the type locality. She is a 76 year old woman, who considers all these birds as her children and dedicated her life to protect them. Mrs. Narayani Amma has been honoured with ‘Sri. Janardhanan Master Memorial Environmental Award’ by the Kannur Paristhithy Samithi, Kannur, Kerala for her commitment towards protection of nature and biodiversity.

Morphological Affinities:—The new species resembles Chrysopogon tadulingamii in general appearance, leaf characters and inflorescence having few spikelets. However, it differs by having scabrid-margined puberulous leaf blades, sessile spikelets with a ciliate, acute-tipped, short-awned upper glume, and a short-awned upper lemma. The pedicelled spikelets are with short flat pedicels and with 7-nerved, awned lower glume, short, 3-nerved, retrorsely ciliate awnless upper glume and retuse or bifid-tipped upper lemma.

Chrysospogon narayanii resembles Chrysopogon asper B. Heyne ex Blatter & McCann (1935: 68) in some of its characters like 7-nerved awned, lower glume and 3-nerved awnless, upper glume of pedicelled spikelets; but it differs by having acicular or linear leaf blades, rounded keeless leaf sheaths, sessile spikelets with comparatively short-awned upper glume and the upper lemma, and pedicelled spikelets with short glumes and upper lemma.

The new species though appears to have some morphological resemblance with C. verticillatus , differs in having comparatively smaller narrow leaves, smaller glumes of sessile spikelets, and longer awn of upper lemma of sessile spikelet. It also differs in having retuse or bifid tipped upper lemma of pedicelled spikelets.

Distinguishing characteristic features of Chrysopogon narayanii and the related species are given in Table 1. The key to the species of this genus in Kerala also clarifies and aids in the identification of this species.

Distribution, Habitat & Ecology:— Chrysopogon narayanii has occasional distribution in grasslands of lateritic areas of Madayippara and adjacent hillocks in Kannur District, Kerala ( Fig. 4 ). These grasslands are highly seasonal and interspersed with other herbaceous plants and scrub jungles. Lateritic soil is the most predominant soil type and first showers of southwest monsoon during late May or early June stimulates germination of seeds and the growth of annual plants. Following the retreat of southwest monsoon by the end of September, most of the early appearing annuals give way to many grass species which subsequently dominate the area. This laterite hillock system has been facing serious danger of degradation over the years mainly due to indiscriminate mining for laterite and soil.

The new species is growing in small populations in open areas of the lateritic hillocks during northeast monsoon (October–November, sometimes extending up to early December) in association with Ischaemum indicum ( Houttuyn1782: 198) Merrill (1938: 320) , Lepidagathis keralensis Madhusoodanan & Singh (1992: 301) , Euphorbia deccanensis Raju (1985: 519) , Eriocaulon madayiparense Swapna, K.P.Rajesh, Manju & Prakashkumar (2012: 20) , Bhidea burnsiana Bor (1949: 445) , and others. As conservation status of the species has not been evaluated as per the IUCN guidelines and criteria ( IUCN 2012, 2014), it is categorized as ‘Not Evaluated’ (NE).

Flowering:— October–December.

Fruiting:— December–February.

Additional specimens analyzed (Paratypes):— INDIA: Kerala: Kannur District, Aravanchal , 100 m, 21 December 2014, Sunil & Ratheesh Narayanan SNMH 7193 ( SNMH!) ; Olayambady , 100 m, 23 December 2014, Sunil & Ratheesh Narayanan SNMH 7198 ( SNMH!) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Chrysopogon narayanii A. Habit. B. Spikelet triad. C–G. Sessile spikelet. C. Sessile spikelet. D. Lower glume. E. Upper glume. F. Lower lemma. G. Upper lemma. Drawn by T. Shaju from live specimens.

FIGURE 2. Chrysopogon narayanii A–G. Pedicelled spikelet.A. Pedicelled spikelet. B. Lower glume—dorsal surface.C. Lower glume— ventral surface. D. Upper glume—ventral surface. E. Upper glume—dorsal surface. F. Lower lemma. G. Upper lemma. H. Stamen. Drawn by T. Shaju from live specimens.

FIGURE 3. Chrysopogon narayanii A. Habit. B. Inflorescence. C. Spikelet triad. D. Pedicelled spikelet. E. Lower glume of sessile spikelet—dorsal view. F. Lower glume of pedicelled spikelet—dorsal view.

FIGURE 4. Distribution of Chrysopogon narayanii in Peninsular India.