Eriochloa distachya Kunth (1815: 95)

Rodrigues, Rodrigo S. & Filgueiras, Tarciso S., 2013, Occurrence of Eriochloa distachya and Parodiophyllochloa penicillata (Poaceae) in São Paulo State, Brazil, Phytotaxa 138 (1), pp. 25-30 : 26-28

Eriochloa distachya Kunth (1815: 95) . ( Fig. 1 )

Annuals, cespitose. Culms erect, 30–60 cm long; nodes pilose. Sheath glabrous, margins glabrous or inconspicuously ciliate towards the apex; ligule pilose; blades linear, often involute, 4–30 × 0.1–0.5 cm, glabrous, apex acute, base symmetrical, straight to obtuse, margins glabrous. Synflorescence composed of (1–)2(–4) alternate racemes, these 1.5–2 cm long; pedicels short, pilose. Spikelets solitary, lanceolate, acute to acuminate, 4.5–5.3 mm long; lower glume represented by a swelling at the base of the spikelet; upper glume lanceolate, acute or acuminate, membranous, 4.5–5.3 mm long, 7-nervate, pilose; lower anthecium male, lemma acute, membranous, 4.3–5 mm long, 5-nerved, pilose, palea hyaline; upper anthecium bisexual, glabrous, lemma elliptic, sub-acute, awnless, with short trichomes at the apex, 5-nerved. Caryopsis not seen.

Material Examined:— BRAZIL. SÃO PAULO: Jeriquara, Fazenda Estiva , 17 March 1964, J . Mattos & H . Bicalho 11672 ( SP) .

Distribution, Ecology and Conservation:— Widely distributed but forming small populations from the U.S.A. to Brazil and Paraguay. In Brazil the species inhabits savannas, in dry or humid places of the states of Pará, Maranhão, Piauí, Distrito Federal, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, and Paraná ( Filgueiras 2013a). In São Paulo it occurs in areas of Cerrado in the northeast portion of the state, near the border with Minas Gerais. According to the data available, the state of Paraná is the southern limit for this species. However, more field work is required in southern Brazil to clarify this. The species is apparently rare in the state of São Paulo. The only specimen found was collected 59 years ago. No other specimens from São Paulo were located in any of the 14 herbaria consulted.

This species is morphologically similar to Eriochloa grandiflora ( Trinius 1831: t. 278) Bentham (1881: 39), from which it is distinguished by its shorter racemes and smaller spikelets. The latter species occurs only in South America ( Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Argentina).

Applying the IUCN (2013) criteria this species is classified as a least concern (LC) in Brazil. However, for the state of São Paulo, we suggest it should be classified as endangered (EN), using criteria three, four and nine of Mamede et al. (2007).

Parodiophyllochloa penicillata (Nees ex Trin. in Trinius 1826: 196) Zuloaga & Morrone in Morrone et al. (2008: 74). ( Fig. 2 )

Perennials, stoloniferous. Culms lignified, decumbent, semi-erect or climbing, 1.5–3.5(–5) m long, branched; nodes glabrous to pilose. Sheath tuberculate-pilose, margins glabrous or ciliate; ligule membranous; blades lanceolate to narrow-lanceolate, 9–30 × 1.1–2.5 cm, glabrous or glabrescent, apex acute, base slightly asymmetrical, obtuse, margins inconspicuously scabrous. Synflorescence a typical panicle, lax, primary branches alternate to sub-verticillate, (3.5–) 7.5–18 cm long; pedicels inconspicuously scabrous. Spikelets in pairs, elliptic, obtuse, sub-acute or acute, 3.1–3.4 mm long; lower glume membranous, 1.6–3 mm long, 3(–5)- nerved, glabrous; upper glume obtuse to sub-acute, membranous, 2.8–3.2 mm long, (5–)7–9-nerved, glabrous or inconspicuously pilose towards the margins and at the apex; lower anthecium neuter, lemma obtuse to subacute, membranous, 3.1–3.4 mm long, 7–9-nerved, glabrous or inconspicuously pilose towards the margins and at the apex, palea null; upper anthecium bisexual, glabrous, lemma elliptic, obtuse, short-mucronate, 5- nerved. Caryopsis elliptic, laterally compressed, 1.5–1.6 × 0.7–0.8 mm.

Material Examined:— BRAZIL. SÃO PAULO: Mogi-Guaçu , 21 December 2011, R. S . Rodrigues & C. V . Silva 255 ( SP); ditto, 24 January 2012, R. S . Rodrigues & C. V . Silva 264 ( SP) .

Distribution, Ecology and Conservation: —Endemic to Brazil. This species inhabits savannas and Rain Forest areas from Bahia, Distrito Federal, Goiás, Minas Gerais, and Rio de Janeiro ( Filgueiras 2013b), in shaded forests, forest edges and partially humid places. In São Paulo it was found in areas of Cerrado in the northeast of the state.

According to Morrone et al. (2008), the species can be distinguished from all other species of the genus occurring in São Paulo by the lignified culms that can reach up to 10 meters long and blades 18–32 × 1.2–3.2 cm. A key to all six species is given in Morrone et al. (2008).

Applying the IUCN (2013) criteria, this species is classified as a least concern (LC) in Brazil. However, for the state of São Paulo, we suggest it should be classified as vulnerable (VU) using criteria three, five and nine of Mamede et al. (2007).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Eriochloa distachya. A. habit. B. fragment of a raceme. C. spikelet (note swollen at base), glume view (left) and lower lemma view (right). D. upper anthecium, lemma view (left) and palea view (right). (Mattos & Bicalho 11672, SP). Illustration by Rodrigo S. Rodrigues, final inking by Klei Rodrigo Sousa.

FIGURE 2. Parodiophyllochloa penicillata. A. fragment of a flowering culm. B. synflorescence. C. synflorescence branch. D. spikelet in lateral view. E. upper portion of lower and upper lemma. F. upper anthecium, lemma view. G. upper anthecium, palea view. H. upper anthecium, showing the short-mucronate lemma. (Rodrigues & Silva 264, SP). Illustration by Klei Rodrigo Sousa.