Tripogon filiformis Nees ex Steud., Pl. Glum.

K., Thoiba, Abstract, A. K. Pradeep & Roem., Tripogon, 2020, A revision of Tripogon (Poaceae: Chloridoideae) in India, Rheedea 30 (3), pp. 325-378 : 342-344

Tripogon filiformis Nees ex Steud., Pl. Glum. 1: 301. 1854; Hook.f., Fl. Brit. India 7(22): 288. 1896; Bor, Grass. Burma Ceylon India & Pakistan 521. 1960; S.Moulik, Grass. Bam. India 2: 622. 1997; S.M.Philip & S.L.Chen, Kew Bull. 57(4): 919. 2002; Potdar, Salunkhe & S.R.Yadav, Grass. Maharashtra: 560. 2012. Type: INDIA , Northwest India , s.d., Royle s.n. (iso K [K000245038 digital image!]).

Plagiolytrum filiforme Nees, Proc. Linn. Soc. London 1: 95. 1841. nom. nud.

Plagiolytrum unidentatum Nees, Proc. Linn. Soc. London 1: 95. 1841. nom. nud.

Catapodium filiforme Nees ex Duthie, N.W. Ind. 33. 1883. nom. inval.

Tripogon semitruncatus Nees ex Steud., Pl. Glum. 1: 301. 1854. Type: INDONESIA, Monte Laeou Javae , s.d., Junghugn, s.n. (iso L [ L0050285 digital image!]).

Tripogon unidentatus Nees, Pl. Glum. 1: 301. 1854. Type: Northwest India , s.d., Royle P. 92 (holo P; iso K).

Tripogon filiformis Steud. var. tenuispicus Hook.f., Fl. Brit. India 7(22): 288. 1896. Type: Northeast India , s.d., Wallich 8892 (holo K [K000245041 digital image!]).

Tripogon nanus Keng f., Acta. Bot. Sin. 9: 71. 1960. Type: CHINA, Sikang , Miao - niu, July 1940, K.L. Chu 7683 (holo N). FiGS. 15 & 16

Caespitose perennials. Culms 10–50 cm high, erect, slender; nodes glabrous. Leaf sheaths 2–10 cm long, linear, ribbed and hairy; ligules obsolete, ciliate with a tuft of 1–2 mm long hairs at both apex; leaf blades 5–17 × 0.2–2.5 cm, linear-lanceolate, filiform, convolute, more hairy towards collar, densely pilose along both surfaces, acuminate to attenuate at apex. Racemes 5–25 × 0.3–0.5 cm, 25–35 spikelets loosely or tightly appressed to concavities in rachis; rachis 3–5 mm long, stout and slightly scabrid; peduncles 3–10 cm long, glabrous. Spikelets 6–8 × 1–2 mm long, linear, dorsi-ventrally flattened, 4–10- flowered; callus bearded, hairs 0.5–1mm long; rachilla 0.5–0.75 mm long, glabrous, slightly zig-zag; lower glumes 1.5–2.5 × 0.5–1 mm, ovate-lanceolate, asymmetrical, notched on one side, 1- keeled, 1-nerved, keels slightly scabrid, margins serrulate, obtuse at apex; upper glumes 2.5–4 × 0.5– 1 mm, elliptic-lanceolate, 1-keeled, 1-nerved, apex dentate, 1-awned, awns 1–1.2 mm long at sinus; lemmas 5–8 × 1–1.5 mm (including awn), oblong-lanceolate, 4-lobed, 3-awned, 3-nerved, slightly keeled, 3-awned, awns scabrid, straight or flexuous, median awns 2.5–5 mm long, lateral lobes 1–1.2 mm long, lanceolate, apex acute, margins serrulate, lateral awns 1–2 mm long, arising from sinus; paleas 2–3 × 0.5–0.75 mm, elliptic-lanceolate, slightly winged, 2-nerved, 2-keeled, hyaline, keels ciliate more at the tip, apex obtuse or minutely bi-mucronate; lodicules 2, 0.3–0.4 mm long, truncate; stamens 3, anthers 1–1.5 mm long, oblong; filaments 0.5–0.75 mm long, slender, glabrous; ovary 0.3–0.5 mm, obovate, styles 2, 0.5–0.75 mm long, slender, hyaline, stigma 0.75–1.2 mm long, plumose, creamy white. Caryopses 1.5–2.5 × 0.3– 0.5 mm, narrowly oblong-elliptic, light brown.

Flowering & fruiting: Flowering and fruiting from August to November.

Habitat: Moist rock outcrops at higher elevation grassland (1000–4500 m). It grows in association with Cyanotis sp. ( Commelinaceae ), Eriocaulon sp. ( Eriocaulaceae ), Impatiens goughii Wight (Balasaminaceae), Tripogon bromoides , T. karnatakensis (both Poaceae ), and moss species.

Distribution: India , Bhutan, Nepal, North Myanmar, Pakistan and China.

Specimens examined: INDIA , Karnataka, Belgaum district , s.loc., 10.1897, W . A . Talbot s.n. ( BSI); Chamarajanagar district , Biligirirangan Betta, 28.04.1962, A . S . Rao 80409 ( CAL); Chikmagalur district , Kavikal Gandi hills, 13.09.2014, K . Thoiba 137504 ( CALI); Kodagu district , Tadiyandamol hills, 26.11.2014, K . Thoiba 137555 ( CALI). Himachal Pradesh, Lahaul & Spiti district, Shell village site, 13.02.1957, S . C . Agarwal 1145 ( CAL). Maharashtra, Pune district , Khandala, Paoli hill, 17.09.1951, H . Santapau 13409, 13415 ( BLAT); Junnar , Ambe plateau, 04.10.1965, K . Hemadri 107590; Khed Taluk, near Gayimukh, 07.10.1962, K . P . Janardhanan 81643 ( BSI); Raigad district , Matheran, hart point, 17.10.1960, N . A . Irani 5567 ( BLAT). Meghalaya, East Khasi hills district, K & J hills, 25.09.1956, G . Panigrahi 3498 ( CAL). Sikkim, North Sikkim district , Lachung, 01.09.1892, G . A . Gammie 1095; s.loc., 16.10.1875, s.coll. 25326; s.loc., 08.1866, Wight s.n. ( CAL). Tamil Nadu, Coimbatore district , Velliangiri hills, 30.09.2016, A . K . Pradeep, Nikhil Krishna & K . Thoiba 146721, 146724, 146730 ( CALI); Dindigul district, Kodaikanal , Mannavanur, Sheep farm, 28.08.1987, K . M . Matthew 5044; Kukkal, 19.10.1987, K . M . Matthew 50798; Vembadi peak, 17.12.1989, K . M . Matthew & K . T . Mathew 53998 ( RHT); Salem district , Shevaroy hills, 10.08.2004, A . K . Pradeep 93156a, 93156b, 93156c, 10 93156d, 93156e ( CALI). Uttarakhand, Pauri Garhwal district , Chopra, 21.09.1975, A . S . Rao 56419 ( CAL). Uttar Pradesh, s.loc., 10.1890, J . F . Duthie 10774 ( CAL). ‘Himalayas’, s.die., s.coll. s.n. ( MH) .

Notes: Tripogon filiformis is a high altitude (1000– 4500 m) species, often confused with T. bromoides and T. longearistatus but can be distinguished by its densely villous leaves, dense feathery racemes and long awned lemmas.

Figures

FiG. 15. Tripogon filiformis Nees ex Steud.: a. Habit; b. Spikelet; c. Lower glume; d. Upper glume; e. Lemma; f. Palea; G. LodiCule; h. Stamen; i. Pistil; j. Caryopsis.

FiG. 16. Distribution of T. Capillatus Jaub. & SpaCh and T. filiformis Nees ex Steud. in India [drawn using ESRI (2011) ArCGIS Desktop: Release 10].