Calamagrostis macilenta (Grisebach) Litvinov (1921: 119)

Paszko, Beata, Chen, Wen-Li & Liu, Bing, 2016, Confirmation of Calamagrostis salina in China, previously misidentified as C. macilenta, and notes about C. kokonorica and C. macilenta (Poaceae, Agrostidinae), Phytotaxa 268 (4), pp. 251-262 : 256-258

2. Calamagrostis macilenta (Grisebach) Litvinov (1921: 119) ; Figs. 1 , 2 , 4 & 5 .

Basionym: Calamagrostis varia var. macilenta Grisebach (in Ledebour 1852: 427).

Deyeuxia macilenta (Grisebach) Keng ex Lu (1987b: 215) .

Type: — RUSIA. [Altai Republik]: Altai, [in pratis ad fl. Tscharysch], [between 7 June and 3 July] 1826, s.c. s.n. (holotype, Herb. Ledeb. 1073.2, LE!).

Description: —Perennial, caespitose, rhizomes elongated. Culms 15–50 cm tall, unbranched, glabrous; nodes 2–4. Sheaths smooth, rarely subinflated; collars smooth; ligules 0.5–4 mm long, membranous, rounded, lacerate. Cauline blades 2.7–9.5 cm long, 1.5–4 mm wide, lanceolate-linear, green, involute; margins minutely serrate; abaxial surfaces minutely scabrous; adaxial surfaces with deep furrows and prominent ridges, glabrous or minutely scabrid owing to the presence of regular rows of exceedingly fine sharp pointed hairs on the top of ridges. Panicle 3–8 cm long, spike-shaped, contracted, linear or oblong, continuous or interrupted, often brown and purple-tinged; the lowest branches 0.6–2.6 cm long, slightly scabrous, spikelet-bearing to the base. Spikelets 3.8–5.5 mm long, 1-flowered; glumes equal or subequal, smooth or minutely scabrid on keel, acute at apex, the lower 3.8–5.5 mm long and 0.8–1.5 mm wide, 1-veined, the upper 3.5–5.3 mm long and 0.8–1.5 mm wide, 3-veined, 0.88–1 times as long as the lower glume; callus hairs 1.7–2.9 mm long, 0.48–0.83 times as long as the lemmas, surrounding the floret; lemma 2.9–4.3 mm long, 5-veined, 0.72–0.88 times as long as the lower glumes, shortly 2-toothed, with awn 1.5–4 mm long, well developed, slightly geniculate and twisted at the base, attached in the lower half (0.18–0.41) of the lemmas, not exerted or extending slightly beyond the glumes; palea 2–3 mm long, 0.6–0.83 times as long as the lemmas; rachilla prolongation 1–2.5 mm long, densely bearded with hairs 2.8–4.3 mm long. Anthers 1.6–2.5 mm long. Flowering in June and July.

Taxonomic notes: — Calamagrostis varia var. macilenta Grisebach (in Ledebour (1852: 427) was a replacement name for C. varia macitentissima (Grisebach misspelled it as ‘ macilentissima ’), a name published as nomen nudum (not accompanied by a Latin diagnosis) by Trinius (1829). He linked this name with Ledebour’s collection made at the river Tscharysch (Charysh) in Altai region ( Ledebour 1829 –1830, Stearn 1941).

Two combinations, Deyeuxia macilenta (Grisebach) Keng (1957: 204) and D. macilenta (Grisebach) Keng (1959: 521) , are not validly published according to Art. 41.5 of ICN ( McNeill et al. 2012), because the basionym is not cited with full and direct reference to author and place of valid publication.

Distribution: — CHINA (Xinjiang?); MONGOLIA (Arkhangai, Bayan-Ölgii, Bayankhongor, Gobi-Altai, Kovd, Ömnögovi, Övörkhangai, Selenge, Töv, Uvs, Zavkhan); RUSSIA (Republik of Altai, Republic of Khakasia) ( Fig. 1 ).

Distribution notes: —Till now, Calamagrostis macilenta has been recorded from Russia (mountains of Southern Siberia), north part of China and Mongolia ( Tzvelev 1965, 1968, 1976). During the current revision we have not found any Chinese specimen of C. macilenta . However, Tzvelev (1968) cited one collection of C. macilenta from eastern Xinjiang, gathered at Barkol Lake, Guan 223, housed at LE according to N.N. Tzvelev (LE, pers. com.) ( Fig. 1 ). The first author has not yet traced that collection. Therefore, there are no confirmed records for China. Further search of herbarium collections and field study is necessary to confirm the species for China.

Malyshev and Peshkova (1984) concluded that C. macilenta is a South Siberian floristic element, distributed mainly in the southern Siberia and Mongolia.

Habitat: — Calamagrostis macilenta grows on saline soils, saline steppes, stony slopes, rocks and pebbles at lower and middle mountain belts ( Tzvelev 1976). Malyshev and Peshkova (1984) considered C. macilenta as a forest steppe element and Pykhalova et al. (2013) regarded it as glycophyte.

Examined specimens: — CHINA. Xinjiang: Barkol Lake, [43°36’N, 93°01’E], 27 September 1957, Guan 223 [LE n.v.].

MONGOLIA. Arkhangai: Tamir river Valley, ca. 7.5–8.5 km up the mouth, on low damp place, 31 June 1895, E. Klementz 189 ( LE) ; Rigth side of Khoit Tamir Gol Valley (Northern Tamir) river, near Ulan Chikhi , on floodplain meadow, 3 July 1895, E. Klementz 189 ( LE) ; Changai Mts, meadows along Tamir river , 18 July 1924, N.V. Pavlov 209 ( LE, 2 sheets) ; Bugutu somon [currently Tsenker distr.], marshland of Khoit Tamir (Northern Tamir) river, 10 km down the bridge on the Khobdo road, polyherbal meadows along the girts and in small hollows, 8 July 1949, A.A. Yunatov 11870 ( LE) . Bayan-Ölgii: Mongolian Altai Mts, basin of Bujant Gol river, sacred site called Demon near the Buku-Tumur cemetery (opposite settlement Dalaj-Khid ), solonchak meadow with Leymus spp. ], 1 July 1971, V.I. Grubov et al. 424 ( LE) ; Mongolian Altai Mts, basin of Chovd Gol river, Sagsajn Gol river , by bridge (up the somon) on the road to Kharganty-gol , left bank, marsh, riverside meadow, 1800 m, 6 July 1971, V.I. Grubov et al. 600 ( LE) ; Tsagangol river , middle part of river, old moraine, 17 July 1909, V. Sapozhnikov s.n. ( LE) . Bayankhongor: Galuut distr., Changai Mts., valley of Cagan-Turutnin Gol river , near Mandal , river bank, short grassland on gravel beds, 18 July 1974, A. Pacyna s.n. ( KRA) ; Transaltay Gobi; valley in the northern Tsagaan Bogd , 42°51’58.02”N, 98°7’47.22”E, extreme water surplus site beneath tall rock wall, 2058 m, 11 July 2004, K. Wesche 24625 ( GLM) ; Bain- Gobi somon [Bayangovi distr.], Tsagan Gol river , 15 km W of the somon center, on solonchak meadow among irises, 25 June 1915, A.A. Yunatov 1500 ( LE) . Gobi-Altai: Sargyn-Gobi, Sargyn-gol-Niederung, Quelle 3 km S of Sarga, 21 June 1964, C. Dawažamc et al. 1937 ( GAT) ; Tamchi somon [Tamchi distr.], valley of Bichon Gol river in Mongolian Altai , 5 km up the river from the place where it reaches foreland plain, solonchak meadow, 10 August 1947, A.A. Yunatov 12606 ( LE) . Kovd: Ozero Kosogol [Khuvsgol Lake], valley of Khore river , meadows along the shore of lake, 25 July 1902, V. Komarov s.n. ( LE) ; Valley of Deljun Gol river, steppe and damp place, 13 July 1906, V. Sapozhnikov s.n. ( LE) . Ömnögovi (S. Gobi Aimak): Gobi Gurvan Saikhan [National Park], Central Dund Saikhan , small meadow steppe protected by boulders, 2374 m, 30 June 2001, K. Wesche & H. Wehrden 1501 ( GLM) . Övörkhangai: Khairkhan somon [Khairkhandulaan distr.], valley of Mel stream, tributary of Arguin Gol river , 15 km NE of somon, meadows along the stream, 24 July 1951, A.V. Kalinina s.n. ( LE) . Selenge: Barun-Buryn somon [Baruunbüren distr.], valley of Burgultaj in its middle course, left bank, meadow, 9 July 1948, A.V. Kalinina et al. 324 ( LE) . Töv: Right side of Tuul (Tola) river, ca. 3.2 km W of deep and narrow valley often with forest called Khuandej , on foreland, open place, 4 July 1897, E. Klementz 189 ( LE) ; N Mongolia, deep and narrow valley often with forest called Khuandej , ca. 6.4–7.5 km up the mouth, on NE slope, on edge of deciduous forest, on damp ground, 7 July 1897, E. Klementz 189 ( LE) ; Right side of Tuul (Tola) river, ca. 3.2 km W of deep and narrow valley often with forest called Khuandej , sandy ground, 3 July 1897, s.c. s.n. ( LE) ; N Mongolia, Bain-gol [right bank tributary of the river Kerulen], meadow, 17 July 1924, V.I. Lisovskiy 1017 ( LE) . Uvs: Khirgis somon [Khyargas distr.], 11 km S of somon, 15 July 1973, D. Banzragch et al. 4685 ( LE) ; Circa lacus Ubsa [Uvs Lake], Ulangom [Ulaangom], 2 July 1879, G.N. Potanin s.n. ( LE, PE) ; Circa lacus Ubsa [Uvs Lake], upper part of Kharkhiraa river , 22 July 1879, G.N. Potanin s.n. ( LE) . Zavkhan: Somon Telmen. O-Ufer des Telmen-nur-Sees Uferzone d. Sees , 1800 m, 17 August 1964, C. Dawažamc et al. 1666 ( GAT) . Unknown Province: N Mongolia, 1879, Potanin s.n. ( LE) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Distribution map of Calamagrostis kokonorica (solid triangles), C. macilenta (open square), and C. salina (solid circles) in China.

FIGURE 2. Panicles within the Calamagrostis macilenta complex. A–C. C. salina. D–E. C. kokonorica. F–L. C. macilenta. Illustrations A–B from Sino-Russia Exped. 56 (PE), C from Qaidam Pendi Exped. 120 (PE), D–E from Liu 484 (PE), F–G from K. Wesche & H. Wehrden 1501 (GLM), H–J from Dawažamc et al. 1666 (GAT), K from Nejfeld & Krasnov s.n. (KRAM), L from Dawažamc et al. 1937 (GAT). Scale bar: A–L = 5 cm.

FIGURE 4. Scatter plot of two characters: the ratio of palea to lemma length against anther length, for Calamagrostis kokonorica (solid triangles), C. macilenta (open squares), and C. salina (solid circles).

FIGURE 5. Calamagrostis macilenta. A. Glumes in side view. B. Floret in side view, showing well developed rachilla prolongation. C. Rachilla prolongation. D. Anthers. E. Collar region of the cauline leaf (second counted from the top of shoot). F. Upper leaf surface. Illustrations from Nejfeld & Krasnov s.n. (KRAM); Russia. Scale bar: A–F = 1 mm.