Parahyparrhenia bellariensis (Hackel) Clayton (1934: 1744)

Landge, Shahid Nawaz & Shinde, Rajendra D., 2021, Rediscovery of Parahyparrhenia bellariensis (Poaceae: Andropogoneae): A presumed extinct grass from Andhra Pradesh, India, Phytotaxa 497 (2), pp. 147-156 : 148-153

Parahyparrhenia bellariensis (Hackel) Clayton (1934: 1744) ( Figs 3–4 )

≡ Andropogon bellariensis Hackel (1885: 123) .

≡ Heteropogon bellariensis (Hack.) Fischer (1934: 1744) .

Type: — INDIA. Andhra Pradesh, Ghooty fort hill, Robert Wight , [1834–37] 2321 (lectotype [K000245933!] designated by Tiwari 2017) .

Perennial, 50–65 cm high, densely tufted, simple or sparingly branched, slender, glabrous, glaucous herb. Culms terete, geniculately ascending; nodes glabrous. Leaf blade (5.0–) 10–45 × 0.1–0.4 cm, linear, long, extremely narrow (filiform and convolute) to considerably broader — old basal leaves prominently striated, with very acuminate apices, glabrous, glaucous, later turning reddish, flaccid, convolute, drooping and curling; basal sheaths prominently striated (almost ribbed), bulged and villous (with shiny appressed hairs) or bearded, upper sheaths shorter than or as long as (sometimes slightly longer than) the internodes, terete, tightly clasping, slightly keeled in upper part, glabrous, glaucous, striated, spathaceous in the upper parts of the plant; ligule biseriately ciliate, inner shorter and outer longer, 0.5 mm and 1.2 mm long respectively. Inflorescence composed of a yellowish raceme, subtended by a linear, spathaceous sheath; spathaceous sheath, glabrous, membranous, 6.0– 7.2 cm long; raceme terminal, solitary (if axillary then in fascicles of 5–8, issuing intravaginally on long, slender peduncles), 4.5–5.0 cm long, obliquely inserted on the peduncle, joint (annulus) bearded, 2 homogamous lower pairs of spikelets strictly staminate; rhachis internodes, ca. 3.0 mm long, linear, laterally compressed, ciliate on both the margins with white hairs, confluent with pedicel into the pungent callus, tip oblique. Sessile spikelet, hermaphrodite, 5.5–8.0 × 1.2–1.3 mm (including the callus), linear-elliptic; callus long, rigid, obliquely-pungent, somewhat protruded, up to 1.5 mm long, densely bearded with white hairs; lower glume 5.0–6.5 × 1.2–1.5 mm, elliptic, sub-oblong, sub-coriaceous, herbaceous, usually 6 or 7 nerved (but sometimes also 12 nerved), with a prominent longitudinal groove on the dorsal side, glabrous, margin inflexed (compressed and sharp in upper portion, lower broader and open), eciliate or ciliolate, tip acute, hyaline (sometimes due to rupturing membrane, tip appears bi-dentate), membranous; upper glume 5.5–6.8 × 1.2 mm, somewhat oblong-elliptic, sub- coriaceous, 5 nerved, glabrous, margin inflexed, ciliate, tip acute (median nerve rigid; with disintegrating membrane along with lateral nerves it imparts a tridentate shape to the tip), slightly longer than the lower glume, exaristate; lower lemma epaleate, barren, 4.0 × 0.8–1.0 mm, oblong-lanceolate, hyaline, membranous, nerveless, margin inflexed, ciliate above the middle, tip obtuse; upper lemma rigid base of a geniculate awn, 4.0–5.0 mm long, linear-oblong, 3 nerved, bifid with thin, appressed, filiform lobes (caducous); upper palea hyaline-membranous, up to 1.3 mm long, oblong, nerveless, eciliate, tip various from obtuse to dentate or lacerated; awn issuing from the sinus of bifid lemma, ca. 32 mm long, hirtellus with long hairs on spirals of the corkscrewed column, limb (bristle) scabrid, pale. Stamens three; anthers 2.8–3.1 mm long; lodicules two, ca. 0.8 mm long, membranous, pale brown, somewhat obconical or oblong with broad truncate or tridentate tip. Stigma very densely plumose 2.3–3.0 mm long, pale orangish when dried; style short, flattened not terete, hyaline-membranous. Caryopsis brown, linear, somewhat elliptic-oblong, 2.8–3.3 mm long. Pedicel 3.0 mm long, similar to the rhachis internode, sub-equal, laterally compressed, tip oblique, ciliate on both the margins with dense white hairs. Pedicelled spikelet, staminate or barren, ex-aristate, 6.5–8.0 mm long (including the callus), elliptic, brownish, glabrous; callus sparsely bearded, up to 0.5 mm long, somewhat squarish, obliquely placed on the pedicel; lower glume 5.0–8.0 × 2.0 mm (unopened), elliptic, sub-coriaceous somewhat translucent, 7–11 nerved, glabrous, acute, margins sharply inflexed, one side curved and minutely winged most of the length and other not curved but winged in upper portion only, ciliate in lower 2/3, tip acute to sub-acuminate, dorsally convex (sometimes with a slight, linear depression base upwards); upper glume 5.0–7.0 × 1.0– 1.2 mm, narrow elliptic, sub-hyaline, membranous, 5 nerved (nerves evanescent below the middle, green), glabrous, margin inflexed, densely ciliate, tip acute; lower lemma, epaleate, barren 5.0 × 1.2 mm, oblong-elliptic, hyaline-membranous, nerveless, margin narrowly inflexed, ciliate throughout, tip acute to sub-acute; upper lemma, staminate, 4.0–4.2 × 1.0 mm, oblongelliptic, hyaline, membranous, 1 nerved, glabrous, margin not inflexed, tip acute to somewhat erose or lacerated; upper palea reduced 0.5 mm or little longer, hyaline-membranous, nerveless, tip various entire to lacerated, or even absent. Stamens three, anthers 3.2–3.5 mm long. Lodicules two, up to 0.9 mm long, fleshy, clavate, somewhat excavated in front, apex tridentate, cupuliform, glabrous.

Flowering and fruiting: — December.

Habitat & associated species: — Dry open rocky upland in the crevices of quartzite rocks in negligible soil. A typical dry habitat of Parahyparrhenia bellariensis , where little of the interest would grow, the giant tussocks of Cymbopogon nardus var. confertiflorus (Steudel 1854: 385) Bor (1953: 905) constitute the most conspicuous element of the wilderness. The other infrequent grasses are Eragrostiella bifaria var. walkeri ( Stapf 1900: 298) Lazarides (1976: 7) , Heteropogon contortus , Chrysopogon fulvus ( Sprengel 1815: 10) Chiovenda (1929: 327) , Aristida adscensionis Linnaeus (1753: 82) , Aristida funiculata Trinius & Ruprecht (1842: 159) and Digitaria tomentosa (Koenig ex Rottler 1803: 220) Henrard (1934: 100) .

Distribution: — Gandikota fort Hill, Cuddapah [Kadapa] district, Andhra Pradesh, India. Apparently narrow endemic.

Conservation status: — Several decades of extensive explorations executed by various workers to locate Parahyparrhenia bellariensis in Andhra Pradesh were consistently futile, based on that Pullaiah et al. (2004) tagged it as “presumably extinct”, and suggested its addition to the Red Data Book of Indian plants. Reddy et al. (2006) categorized it as “Vulnerable” in the Red Data Book.

In our study, we have found that the entire population of Parahyparrhenia bellariensis occupies an extremely limited area of only 7 m 2 in Gandikota Fort hill. Since, there is a regular movement of tourists; its habitat is very vulnerable. We have observed its decline in the type locality, where it recently became perished. According to IUCN Red List Criteria (2019) the species is assessed as Critically Endangered (CR), based on the criteria A2a, B2ab (i,ii,iii,iv,v), C2a (i) and D.

A little hope has remained to save this grass; hitherto, for which, no conservation measures have been taken. At the moment, the possible conservation strategy is to restrict tourist encroachment in Gandikota Fort Hill — at least in the small magnitude where the population of the grass still exist, to prevent any irreversible decline. There is an urgent need to conjure, in scholarly minds, the idea of its immediate and undeniable conservation, for the population already experiencing a terrifying menace of extinction!

Note: — Upper lemma of the sessile spikelet is distinctly bifid with filiform lobes, mostly appressed to the column of its principal awn. The lobes are very delicate and caducous with age. Spikelets that are dissected at the time of fruiting are devoid of lemmatal lobes, it might be therefore well taken by many as the upper lemma entire. Lobes of the bifid lemma can be well observed during anthesis. This phenomenon is seen in both the endemic species of Parahyparrhenia from India. The caryopses in both the species are sulcate. In P. bellariensis it is almost ridged, showing perpendicular outline in the transverse section ( Fig.4 ). The sulcus is an effect of the impression cast on the young ovary by raised median longitudinal groove on the under surface of lower glume of sessile spikelet. One of the most peculiar features of this species is its short, flattened, hyaline-membranous (papery) style quite contrary to the usually occurring terete and solid style. This character needs to be checked in other congeners. This is the only species in the genus to have biseriately ciliate ligule.

( Star represents Gooty Fort Hill [The type locality] where the grass became eventually extinct after an elapse of a year since its rediscovery. Circle represents Gandikota Fort hill, the only known locality in India) .

Specimens Examined: — INDIA. Andhra Pradesh, Cuddapah district, Gandikota Fort Hill , 320m, 21 December 2019, 14°49’5.10”N 78°17’8.90”E, Shahid Nawaz GK-300, GK-301, GK-302, GK-303, GK-304, GK-305, GK-306 ( BLAT) ; Anantapur district, Gooty Fort Hill [Bellary region], 23 Dec 2019, Shahid Nawaz GF-310 ( BLAT) . INDIA. Tamilnadu, Madras [Andhra Pradesh], Gooty Fort Hill, s.d., Wight 2321 (K!) 2 preparations; Inde [Peninsula Ind. orientis], s.d., Wight 2321 (G!) 1 preparation; Mysore, Deccan, prope Bellari [Bellary region], s.d., Wight 2321 (US!) 1 preparation; South Asia [India], s.d., Wight 2321 ( E!) 2 preparations. (Type collections).

Figures

FIGURE 3. Parahyparrhenia bellariensis in Gandikota Fort Hill. A. Habit. B. Inflorescence. C. Basal portion. D. Magnified lowest bulged sheath. E. Ligule. F. Raceme. G. Heterogamous spikelets. (Photography by: Shahid Nawaz)

FIGURE 4. Illustration of the spikelets of Parahyparrhenia bellariensis. A. Portion of spiciform-raceme. B–L: Sessile spikelet and its parts. B. Sessile spikelet. C1. Lower glume (dorsal). C2. Lower glume (ventral). C3. Apex of lower glume. C4. T.S. of lower glume. D1. Upper glume (ventral). D2. Upper glume (lateral). D3. Apex of upper glume. E. Lower lemma. F. Upper lemma. G1. Upper palea. G2. Apex of upper palea. G3.Apex of upper palea. H.Anthers. I. Lodicules. J. Pistil. K1. Caryopsis. K2. T.S. of caryopsis. L. Callus of sessile spikelet. M. Rhachis internode. N. Pedicel. O–W: Pedicelled spikelet and its parts. O. Callus. P. Pedicelled spikelet. Q1. Lower glume (dorsal). Q2. Lower glume (ventral). R. Upper glume. S. Lower lemma. T. Upper lemma. U. Upper palea. V. Anthers. W. Lodicules. (Illustrated by Shahid Nawaz from “Shahid Nawaz GK-302”)