Dimeria kurzii Hook.f.

Veldkamp, J. F., 2016, A revision of Dimeria (Gramineae-Dimeriinae) in Malesia with a note on Cymbachne, Blumea 61 (3), pp. 207-214 : 209-210

3. Dimeria kurzii Hook.f.

Dimeria kurzii Hook.f.(1896) 103. — [ Dimeria avenacea (Retz.) C.E.C.Fisch. subvar. kurzii (Hook.f.) Roberty (1960) 398,401, nom.inval.]. — Lectotype: Kurz 2741 (K 000245781; iso G, K 000245780), designated by Teerawatananon et al. (2014: 141).

Dimeria sinensis Rendle (1904) 359. — Lectotype: Hance 1385, p.p. (‘Guangzhou’) (BM 000959790 ≡ -91, -92, the largest left hand culm), designated (first step) by Teerawatananon et al. (2014: 145), designated here (second step).

Dimeria monostachya Reeder (1948) 324, t. 5, f. a, b. — Type: Brass 7806 (holo A; BISH, BO,?K,?L, US).

Dimeria falcata auct. non Hack: Chase (1939) 313.

Annuals. Culms 0.1–0.6 m long. Nodes puberulous or bearded. Ligules 0.4–1 mm long, margin ciliolate (30 x!). Leaf blades 1.3–10 cm by 1–5 mm, pilose. Racemes 1, rachis flattened, 1.6–7 cm long, 0.4–0.9 mm wide, internodes 0.2–1.5 mm long, margin pilose (30 x!). Pedicels 0.2–0.7 mm long. Spikelets 2–4 mm long. Callus hairs 0.2–0.4 mm long. Lower glumes keel pilose (30 x!), apex acute to acuminate, not winged; upper glumes acuminate, keel not winged to winged, keel pilose (30 x!), wing narrow, not rugose.Awns (6–) 9–18 mm long, incl. the (1–) 2–6 mm long column. Anthers 0.5–1.5 mm long.

Distribution — India (Kerala), disjunct with Burma (Bago, Kachin, Shan, Taninthayi), Thailand (Eastern: Buri Ram, Nakhon Ratchasima, Ubon Ratchathani; Southeastern: Chant- aburi; Central: Nakhon Nayok; Penins.: Phangnga, Ranong, Satun, Songkhla), Cambodia (Stung Treng), Vietnam, S China; Malesia: Malay Penins. (Kedah), Papua New Guinea (Western Prov.).

Habitat — Lateritic, sandy soil, dry deciduous forest, savannahs, disturbed places, edge of rice field, beaches, locally abundant, 0–1200 m altitude.

Collector’s notes — Annual. Culms violet. Blades green above, pale green underneath. Inflorescence axes greenish. Glumes green, pinkish purple, violet. Awns tan, violet.

Notes — Reeder compared his D. monostachya to D. sinensis Rendle , a synonym of D. kurzii . The only difference outside the very disjunct distribution is that the awns are shorter than in D. kurzii . The isotype specimen in A does not have broadly winged upper glumes, as described. I have seen specimens with such short awns also from Vietnam (e.g. Schmid s.n. 3 Feb. 1954; P):

–. Awns 9–18 mm long, incl. 2–6 mm long column D. kurzii –. Awns 6–8.5 mm long, incl. 1–2 mm long column.......

................................. D. monostachya

Teerawatananon et al. (2014: 138) differentiated between D. kurzii and D. sinensis by the absence or presence of a wing on the keel of the upper glume. Having studied some specimens of both species identified by them, I fail to find this difference (or any other). Indeed some of their ‘ D. sinensis ’ are completely wingless.

Hance 1385 is the number of a species, which consists of several collections, most pertaining to D. falcata Hack. as was already pointed out by Rendle (1904). The lectotypification of D. sinensis was sorted out by Teerawatananon et al. (2014), but unfortunately without ‘designated here’.