Tripogon sivarajanii Sunil, Sida

K., Thoiba, Abstract, A. K. Pradeep & Roem., Tripogon, 2020, A revision of Tripogon (Poaceae: Chloridoideae) in India, Rheedea 30 (3), pp. 325-378 : 365-366

Tripogon sivarajanii Sunil, Sida 18(3): 809. 1999; Sasidh., Biodiv. Doc. Kerala – Fl. Pl.: 595. 2004. Type: INDIA , Kerala, Idukki district, Valakettimala near Moolamattam , 1020 m, 02.09.1997, C.N. Sunil 2117 (holo MH!; iso BRIT!, CALI [ CALI112132 !], K!, L!, PBL!).

Tripogon jayachandranii Arum. & Murugan, Indian J. Forest. 40(2): 159. 2017, syn. nov. Type: INDIA , Tamil Nadu, Theni district, Meghamalai Wildlife Sanctuary , 1450 m, 04.10.2016, S. Arumugam & C. Murugan 134462 (holo CAL!; iso MH [ MH00003331 !]). FiGS. 38 , 39 & 41

Tufted perennial herb. Culms 30–70 cm high erect; nodes glabrous. Leaf sheaths 6–10 cm long, linear, glabrous; ligules a fine glabrous membrane; leaf blades 10–40 × 0.2–0.3 cm, linear-lanceolate, flat-convolute, villous adaxially with short dense hairs intermingled with long scattered shaggy hairs, glabrous abaxially, acuminate to attenuate at apex. Racemes 10–45 cm long, stout, 20–60 spikelets appressed to concavities in rachis; rachis 3–7 mm long, stout, glabrous; peduncle 3–9 cm, glabrous. Spikelets 7–10.5 × 1.5–2 mm, linear, distant, dorsiventrally flattened, 5–8-flowered; callus hairy, hairs c. 0.5 mm long; rachilla 0.5–1 mm long, glabrous, straight or zig zag, not persistent; lower glumes 2–2.5 × 0.5–1 mm, asymmetrical, oblong-lanceolate, 1-nerved, 1-keeled, keels slightly scabrid, acuminate at apex; upper glumes 3–4.2 × 0.5–1 mm, elliptic-lanceolate, 1-nerved, 1-keeled, acuminate or mucronulate at apex, lemmas 3–4 × 1.5–2 mm, oblanceolate, 2-lobed, 3-nerved, slightly keeled, 1-awned, awns stout, scabrid, straight, 3–3.5 mm long, lateral lobes 0.8–1.5 mm long; paleas 2–3 × 1–1.5 mm, obovate-elliptic, narrowly winged, hyaline, 2-keeled, keels ciliolate, acute or 2-lobed with a minute central notch at apex; lodicules 2, c. 0.5 mm long, slightly cordate; stamens 3, anthers 1–1.5 mm long, oblong, filaments 0.5–0.75 mm long, slender, glabrous; ovary 0.25–0.4 mm long, obovate, styles 2, 0.5– 0.75 mm long, slender, hyaline, stigma 0.75–1.2 mm long, plumose, creamy white. Caryopses 1.2– 1.6 × 0.3–0.4 mm, narrowly oblong, cylindric, light brown.

Flowering & fruiting: Flowering and fruiting from September to early December.

Habitat: This species is usually found growing along grassy hill slopes at 800–1800 m elevations in association with Arundinella mesophylla , Chrysopogon hackelii , Eragrostis atrovirens (Desf.) Trin. ex Steud. , E. collinensis , Eragrostiella bifaria , Tripogon bromoides (all Poaceae ), Crotalaria grahamiana Wight & Arn. ( Fabaceae ), Henckelia fischeri (Gamble) A. Weber & B.L. Burtt , H. gambleana (C.E.C.Fisch.) A.Weber & B.L. Burtt (both Gesneriaceae ), Impatiens acaulis ( Balsaminaceae ), Justicia latispica (Clarke) Gamble ( Acanthaceae ), Murdannia semiteres ( Commelinaceae ) and Swertia corymbosa (Griseb.) Wight ex Clarke ( Gentianaceae ).

Distribution: Endemic to South India .

Specimens examined: INDIA , Kerala, Ernakulam district , Shoolamudi, Variyam, 14.12.2016, Nikhil Krishna & K . Thoiba 146741; Ibid., 14.12.2016, Nikhil Krishna & K . Thoiba 146743 ( CALI); Idukki district , Kattapana, 16.12.2014, K . Thoiba & A . K . Pradeep 144101; Kalvari Mount, Kattapana, 17.10.2015, K . Thoiba & A . K . Pradeep 146634; Kuttikanam Mundakayam road, 15.10.2015, K . Thoiba & A . K . Pradeep 146607; Marayoor, 24.05.2016, T . Shaju 66748; Munnar, Devikulam, 16.12.2014, K . Thoiba 137583; Meenuliyampara, 23.12.2009, Santhosh Nampy 2735; Peerumade, 16.10.2015, K . Thoiba & A . K . Pradeep 146614; Parunthpara, K . Thoiba & A . K . Pradeep 146632; Periyakanal waterfalls, 14.11.2014, K . Thoiba & A . K . Pradeep 137547; Vagamon, way to Pullikanam, 15.10.2015, K . Thoiba & A . K . Pradeep 146610; Ibid., 15.10.2015, K . Thoiba & A . K . Pradeep 146612; Valakettimala near Moolamattam, 02.09.1997, C . N . Sunil 2117 ( CALI); Kollam district, Varkala , Sivagiri, Jadayipara, 10.10.2015, K . Thoiba & P . Soumya 146602 ( CALI); Kottayam district , s.loc., 05.11.1956, S . C . Agarwal 881 ( CALI); Palakkad district, Nelliyampathy , Keshavanpara, 07.11.2013, K . Thoiba 134485; Ibid., 07.11.2015, K . Thoiba 146678 ( CALI); ( CALI); Thiruvananthapuram district , Bonacaud, s.d., N . Mohanan 11389 ( TBGT); Ponmudi , 05.09.2017, Nikhil Krishna & K . Thoiba 146755 ( CALI); Thrissur district, Parambikulam Tiger Reseve , Karimala hills, 26.09.2013, K . Thoiba 134447, 134451; Shaekalmudi, Mudiyankunnu, 12.12.2013, K . Thoiba 138027 ( CALI). Tamil Nadu, Coimbatore district , Valparai, Shivamalai, 13.12.2013, K . Thoiba 138010 ( CALI) .

Notes: Arumugam and Murugan (2017) described Tripogon jayachandranii Arum. & Murugan from the Meghamalai Wildlife Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu, India , and compared it with T. jacquemontii , T. pungens , T. copei , and T. wightii . According to them, these four species are allied to T. jayachandranii . During the course of the present investigation, the authors of the present revision have examined the types and protologues of all the five taxa involved, and found that, T. jayachandranii is conspecific with T. sivarajanii Sunil and not at all similar to any one of the species Arumugam and Murugan (2017) compared with, and hence it is reduced to synonymy of T. sivarajanii .

Figures

FiG. 38. Tripogon sivarajanii Sunil in its natural habitat at Vagamon in Idukki distriCt (Photo by K.Thoiba)

FiG.39.Tripogon sivarajanii Sunil:a. Habit;b.Spikelet;c.Lower glume; d. Upper glume; e. Lemma; f. Palea; G. Stamen & pistil.

FiG.41. Distribution ofTripogon ravianus Sunil & Pradeep,T.sivarajanii Sunil and T.trifidus Munro ex Hook.f.in India [drawn using ESRI (2011) ArCGIS Desktop: Release 10].