Tripogon velliangiriensis Murug. & V.Balas., Indian J. Forest.

K., Thoiba, Abstract, A. K. Pradeep & Roem., Tripogon, 2020, A revision of Tripogon (Poaceae: Chloridoideae) in India, Rheedea 30 (3), pp. 325-378 : 371-372

Tripogon velliangiriensis Murug. & V.Balas., Indian J. Forest. 31(1): 109. 2008; Kabeer & V.J. Nair, Fl. Tamil Nadu Grass: 182. 2009. Type: INDIA , Tamil Nadu, Coimbatore district, Velliangiri hills, 1850 m, 12.09.2003, Murugesan KASCH1181 (holo KASCH; iso MH [ MH00003233 !]) .

Tripogon copei Newmaster, V.Balas., Murug. & Ragup., Syst. Bot. 33 (4): 698. 2008. syn. nov. Type: INDIA , Tamil Nadu, Velliangiri hills, 1840 m, 18.12.2006, Ragu & Newmaster 55277 (holo OAC; iso KASCH).

Tripogon wightii Hook.f. var. kanyakumariensis Kabeer & V.J.Nair, Fl. Tamil Nadu Grass. 183. 2009. syn. nov. Type: INDIA , Tamil Nadu, Kanyakumari district, Mothiramalai, Thomarai , near Peechiparai , ± 630 m, 16.12.2005, K. Althaf Ahamed Kabeer 118769 (holo & iso MH [ MH00003228 !]). FiGS. 44 , 45 & 50

Caespitose perennials. Culms 10–25 cm high, erect or stoloniferous; nodes glabrous. Leaf sheaths 3–5 cm long, linear, glabrous, persistent; ligules membranous with 0.4–0.6 mm long hairs at apex; leaf blades 5–18 × 0.2–0.25 cm, linear-lanceolate, convolute or sometimes equitant, surfaces ciliate adaxially and glabrous, ribbed abaxially, acuminate to attenuate at apex. Racemes 6–13 cm long, solitary, spike-like, 6–12 spikelets loosely arranged in rachis; rachis 4–6 mm long, stout, angular, scabridulous; peduncle 3–11 cm long, glabrous, ribbed. Spikelets 10–25 × 2–3 mm, linear, distant, dorsiventrally flattened, leaden green, 6–9- flowered, acute at apex, disarticulation of florets from above glumes and in between florets; callus bearded, hairs 1.5–1.8 mm long; rachilla 0.5–1 mm long, glabrous, straight or zig zag, not persistent; lower glumes 4–4.5 × 0.7–1 mm, asymmetrical, ovate-lanceolate, 1-nerved, 1-keeled; keels slightly scabrid, acuminate or mucronulate at apex; upper glumes 4.5–5.5 × 1.5–2 mm, elliptic-lanceolate, 1- nerved, 1-keeled, apex dentate, mucronate, mucro 0.3–0.4 mm long; lemmas 8–9.5 × 1.5–2 mm (including awn), elliptic-lanceolate, 2-lobed, 3- nerved, slightly keeled, 1-awned, awns scabrid, straight, slightly bend when mature, 3–6 mm long, lateral lobes sharply acuminate or sometimes look like a minute awn, lobes 1–1.5 mm long; paleas 3– 3.5(–4–5) × 1.4–1.6 mm, elliptic-oblanceolate, broadly winged, hyaline, 2-keeled, keels ciliate, emarginate or 2-lobed with a minute central notch at the apex; lodicules 2, c. 0.4 mm long, slightly cordate; stamens 3, anthers 1.5–2 mm long, oblong, filaments c. 0.3 mm long, slender, glabrous; ovary c. 0.5 mm long, obovate, styles 2, 0.8–1mm long, slender, hyaline, stigma 0.7–1 mm long, plumose, creamy white to purple violet. Caryopses 0.45–0.7 × 0.2–0.3 mm, narrowly oblong, brown.

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

Habitat: This species grows between 1200–2200 m elevations on rocks and wet rocky hillsides in association with Cyanotis concanensis Hassk. , C. cristata (both Commelinaceae ), Cymbopogon martini (Roxb.) Will.Watson , Tripogon bromoides , T. filiformis , T. sivarajanii (all Poaceae ), Henckelia humboldtiana , H. wightii (C.B.Clarke) A.Weber & B.L.Burtt ( Gesneriaceae ) and Impatiens sp. ( Balsaminaceae ).

Distribution: Endemic to South India .

Specimens examined: INDIA , Kerala, Idukki district , Peerumedu, Parunthpara, 16.10.2015, K . Thoiba & A . K . Pradeep 146621, 146628, 146629 ( CALI); Palakkad district, Nelliyampathy, Keshavanpara , 07.11.2013, Thoiba K . 134492 ( CALI); Thrissur district, Parambikulam Tiger Reserve, Karimala hills, 23.10.1990, Sasidharan s.n.; Ibid., 26.09.2013, K . Thoiba 134454; ( CALI). Tamil Nadu, Coimbatore district , Velliangiri hills, 30.09.2016, A . K . Pradeep & Nikhil Krishna 146725, 146700 ( CALI) .

Notes: Tripogon velliangiriensis was first described from the Velliangiri hills in Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu by Murugesan and Balasubramaniam (2008). They distinguished it from T. wightii by its “leaves being longer than the inflorescence, 15–20 cm long; lower glume not toothed, linear-lanceolate, 6–6.5 mm long, awned, awns 1.5–2.5 mm long; upper glume 2- toothed, linear-lanceolate, 8–9.5 mm long, awned, awns 2–2.5 mm long; median awn of lemma 10.5–12 mm long; straight, lobes of lemma acuminate, awned, awn 1.5–2 mm long”. Subsequently, Newmaster et al. (2008) published T. copei from the same hills of Velliangiri in Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu. The type (Ragupathy & Newmaster 55277) of this species was reportedly deposited at OAC and KASCH. The authors tried in vain to locate the isotype of this taxon at KASCH and no holotype was available at OAC (Ragupathy, personal communication dated 14.07.2016).

The authors collected a good number of specimens from different areas of Velliangiri and adjoining hill ranges. A critical examination of protologue and available materials from the type locality shows that the floral characters used to delimit T. copei from T. velliangiriensis are variable. The authors have observed populations of T. velliangiriensis with longer leaves, asymmetrical lower glumes, exceptionally symmetrical at the apical spikelets, almost straight median awns, and palea cleft at apex. Even though the type specimens were unavailable for our studies, judging from the description and illustrations of T. copei provided in the protologue and a number of specimens collected from the type locality, we prefer to reduce T. copei to synonymy of T. velliangiriensis .

Figures

FiG. 44. Tripogon velliangiriensis Murug.& V.Balas.at Velliangiri hills in Coimbatore distriCt (Photo by A.K. Pradeep).

FiG.45.Tripogon velliangiriensis Murug.&V.Balas.:a.Habit;b.Spikelet; c. Lower glume; d. Upper glume; e. Lemma; f. Palea; G. Stamen & pistil.

FiG.50. Distribution ofTripogon vellarianus Pradeep,T.velliangiriensis Murug.& V.Balas.,T. wightii Hook.f.and T.zeylaniCus Nees ex Steud. in India [drawn using ESRI (2011) ArCGIS Desktop: Release 10].