Iseilema kunhikannanii K.C. Mohan, Y. Mahesh & K. Prasad, 2020

Mohan, Kolagani Chandra, Mahesh, Y., Subramanyam, P., Sharma, Sushant & Prasad, Kothareddy, 2020, Iseilema kunhikannanii (Poaceae: Panicoideae), a new species from Rajasthan, India, Phytotaxa 434 (1), pp. 113-117 : 113-115

Iseilema kunhikannanii K.C. Mohan, Y. Mahesh & K. Prasad sp. nov. ( Fig. 1 )

Type: — INDIA: Rajasthan, Bundi district, Bundi forest division, Near Garrada village, N 25° 12′ 04.52′′, E 75° 28′ 13.68′′, 452 m alt., 17 th October 2018, K. Chandra Mohan 5126 (holotype: CAL, isotypes: BSID, BSJO)

Diagnosis:— Iseilema kunhikannanii is closely allied to I. holei , but differs in having tubercles on median keel of leaf sheaths, extended little above the lamina (vs. median keel of leaf sheaths lacks tubercles); fascicles elliptic-lanceolate (vs. subglobose); spatheole with tubercles on both keels and marginal nerves (vs. tubercles only on keel); involucral spikelets lanceolate; lower glumes 5-nerved; upper glumes 1-nerved, wings glabrous (vs. lanceolate or narrowly ellipticoblong; lower glumes 5 or 9-nerved; upper glumes 3-nerved, wings hairy); central pedicel shorter than the involucral spikelets (vs. as long as involucral spikelets); sessile spikelet 3–3.5 mm long; lower glume deeply cleft at apex, keels glabrous (vs. 3.5–5.1 mm long; lower glume aristate or minutely 2-cuspidate or truncate, keels granulate).

Description:— Tufted annuals or short-lived perennials. Culms erect, robust, glabrous, up to 100 cm high; nodes bearded; internodes pale yellow. Leaf blades flat, linear, 10–40 × 0.4–0.5 cm, acuminate at apex, ciliate along margins, sparsely villous at base; ligules short, membranous, 1.5–2 mm long, with 2–4 mm long cilia at apex; leaf sheaths 6–10 cm long, compressed, keeled, median keel tuberculate and extended little above the lamina, mouth ciliate. Inflorescence a dense false panicle, terminal and axillary, subtended by spathe and spatheole; panicles with clusters of spikelets in dense fascicles; spathe 1.5–5 cm long, tuberculate on keels and marginal nerves, with reduced leaf blade; spatheole boat shaped, lanceolate, 6–12 mm long, tuberculate on keels and marginal nerves. Racemes solitary, with three heteromorphous spikelets; lower four involucral spikelets (male), one sessile spikelet (female) and two pedicelled spikelets (male or not); peduncle short and within spathe, 6–10 mm long, tuberculate above; rachis carrying sessile spikelet, 1–1.2 mm long, sparsely hairy. Involucral spikelets lanceolate, 4–4.8 × 0.8–1 mm, acute to acuminate at apex, scabrid throughout, sparsely hairy; pedicels of involucral spikelets longer than broad, 0.5–1 × 0.2–0.3 mm, hairy at base only. Lower glumes lanceolate, 3.2–4.5 × 0.9–1.1 mm, acute at apex, margins sparsely hairy, 5-nerved, scabrid, 2-keeled, sparsely tuberculate on keels. Upper glumes lanceolate, 3.2–3.8 × 0.6–0.8 mm, acute at apex, 1-nerved, glabrous, 2-keeled, keels winged; wings glabrous. Upper lemmas hyaline, linear-lanceolate, 2–2.5 × 0.2–0.3 mm, 2-cleft at apex. Stamens 3, anthers 1.4–1.6 mm long; filaments 0.5–0.6 mm long. Sessile spikelet linear-lanceolate, 3–3.5 × 0.6–0.8 mm, narrowed at apex and broader at base, awned, sparsely hairy or not at base. Lower glume linear-lanceolate, 3–3.5 × 0.7–0.8 mm, deeply cleft at apex, 4-nerved, scabrid on upper half and glabrous on lower half, 2- keeled. Upper glume linear-lanceolate, 3–3.2 × 0.4–0.6 mm, acuminate to aristate at apex, 3-nerved, 2-keeled; arista up to 0.6 mm long. Upper lemma linear, 1.2–1.5 × 0.1–0.2 mm, awned; awn geniculate, 10–14 mm long. Upper palea hyaline, oblong-lanceolate, 2–2.5 × 0.4–0.6 mm, cleft at apex, nerveless. Caryopsis elliptic, 1.2–1.4 × 0.6–0.8 mm. Pedicelled spikelets linear-lanceolate, 4.5–5 × 0.6–0.8 mm, scabrid throughout; pedicel 1–1.4 mm long, ciliate at base only. Lower glumes linear-lanceolate, 3.6–4 × 0.8–1 mm, truncate at apex, 5-nerved, scabrid, tuberculate on nerves. Upper glumes linear-lanceolate, 3.6–4 × 0.4–0.6 mm, acuminate at apex, 1-nerved, glabrous, scabrid and tuberculate on nerve. Upper lemmas linear-lanceolate, 3–3.4 × 0.2–0.3 mm, glabrous, hyaline.

Flowering & Fruiting:— September-November.

Distribution:— Iseilema kunhikannanii is currently known from the Bundi forest division in the Bundi district of Rajasthan state. It is exhibiting patchy distribution.

Etymology:— The new species named in honor of Dr. C. Kunhikannan, Scientist-“G” at Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Coimbatore for his contributions to the forest ecology and plant biodiversity in India.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Iseilema kunhikannanii sp. nov. A. Habit; B. Nodes with hairs; C. Part of inflorescence; D.–H. Involucral spikelets: D.–D1. Involucral spikelets; E.–E1. Lower glume; F. Upper glume; G. Upper lemma; H. Stamens; I.–M. Sessile spikelet: I. Lower glume; J. Upper glume; K. Upper lemmas; L. Upper palea; M. Caryopsis; N.–Q. Pedicelled spikelets: N. Pedicelled spikelets; O. Lower glume; P. Upper glume; Q. Upper lemma (Plate by K. Prasad & Y. Mahesh from K. Chandra Mohan 5126).