Dimeria chloridiformis (Gaudich.) K.Schum. & Lauterb.

Veldkamp, J. F., 2016, A revision of Dimeria (Gramineae-Dimeriinae) in Malesia with a note on Cymbachne, Blumea 61 (3), pp. 207-214 : 208-209

1. Dimeria chloridiformis (Gaudich.) K.Schum. & Lauterb.

Dimeria chloridiformis (Gaudich.) K.Schum.& Lauterb.(1900) 165. — Andropogon chloridiformis Gaudich. (1826) 72, 75 (nomen); (1829) 412 (descr.). — [ Dimeria avenacea (Retz.) C.E.C.Fisch.subvar. chloridiformis (Gaudich.) Roberty (1960) 398, 402, nom. inval.]. — Type: Gaudichaud s.n. (holo P; photo in BRI, K).

Haplachne pilosissima J. Presl (1830) 235, t. 38. — Diplachne pilosissima (J.Presl) Trin. (1832) 336. — Type: Haenke s.n. (holo PR; photo BISH).

Dimeria fuscescens Trin. (1832) 335. — [ Dimeria avenacea (Retz.) C.E.C. Fisch. subvar. fuscescens (Trin.) Roberty (1960) 398, 401, nom. inval.]. — Type: Wallich 8841 ex Lindley in Herb. Trinius 1253.1 (LE, microfiche IDC BT-16 /1; G, K, Herb. Wallich, microfiche IDC 7394 ; W).

Dimeria ciliata Merr. (1914) 262. — [ Dimeria avenacea (Retz.) C.E.C.Fisch. subvar. ciliata (Merr.) Roberty (1960) 398, 402, nom. inval.]. — Type: BS 9320 (Merrill) (PNH lost; BISH, photo in BRI, G, K;? L, NSW).

Dimeria ciliata Merr. var. heteromorpha Reeder (1948) 325. — Type: Brass 7807 (holo A; BISH, BO 1864466 , L, US).

Dimeria dipteros Reeder (1948) 324, t. 6. — Type: Brass 11738 (holo US; A, BO, L).

Dimeria falcata auct. non Hack.

Eulalia argentea Brongn. var. queenslandica auct. non Hitchc.: Hitchc. (1936) 126.

Perennials. Culms 0.3–1 m long. Nodes bearded. Ligules 0.5–1 mm long, margin glabrous (30 x!) or ciliolate (30 x!). Leaf blades 3–25 cm by 2–5(–8) mm, puberulous or pilose, sometimes glabrous. Racemes 1–6, rachis flattened, 4–15 cm long, 0.2–1 mm wide, internodes 0.8–4 mm long, margin glabrous, ciliate, or pilose (30 x!). Pedicels 0.3–1 mm long. Spikelets 3.3–4.8(–5.6) mm long. Callus hairs 0.2–1 mm long. Lower glumes keel puberulous to pilose (30 x!), apex acuminate to mucronate, mucro 0–0.2 mm long, not winged; upper glumes acute to mucronate, mucro 0–0.6 mm long, keel winged or not, pilose (30 x!), wing narrow, not rugose. Awns 4–17 mm long, incl. 0–3.5 mm long column.Anthers 0.8–3.5 mm long. 2n = 50.

Distribution — Sri Lanka, Nepal, India (Andhra Pradesh,As- sam, Bengal, Kerala, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Orissa, Tamil Nadu) to Thailand (NE: Loei; E: Chayaphum; Pen.: Satun; therefore may be expected in N Malay Pen.), N Vietnam, Micronesia ( Guam, Yap), Australia (N Territory, Queensland); Malesia: Philippines (Palawan), New Guinea: Irian Jaya (Baliem River); Papua New Guinea (Central, W-, S Highlands, Western Prov.).

Habitat — Savannahs, sometimes dominant, swampy places, wet rocks, open pine or evergreen forest; 30–2530 m altitude.

Collector’s notes — Erect, fairly densely tufted, culms 30– 100 cm, purple. Leaves dull mid green, bluish green with sil- ver hairs. Inflorescence yellow/green, purplish. Spikes 1–2. Anthers yellow. Style white, pale yellow.

Notes — The var. heteromorpha is merely a rather glabrous form with an extended wing on the upper glume.

An isotype in A of Dimeria dipteros is a small specimen, but with cataphylls and extra-vaginal branching, hence not an annual. There were hardly discernible wings on the glumes. Hence the species is reduced here .

The Continental Asian representatives are known as D. fuscescens Trin. (1832) but I have failed to find any convincing differences.

Roberty (1960: 402) cited his subvar. ciliata for Deccan ( India) and the Philippines. The first surely is a misidentification.

Reeder (1948: 325) and Jansen (1953: 267) noted that the peduncle would be “short pubescent below the inflorescence”. I have not seen this.

The development of a wing on the keel of the upper glume is apparently not such a reliable character as some keys suggest. Merrill (1914) did not note the upper glume to be winged, Reeder said prominently in upper part. Actually it may be absent to broad, while the plants in other respects do not seem to differ.

Although said to be common in e.g. New Guinea ( Henty 1969: 80), only two specimens were received from K. Possible specimens in L could not be found .