Fimbristylis jaleeliana Sunil, Ratheesh & Shaju, 2023

Narayanan, Matalayi Kokaramath Ratheesh, Sunil, Chandrasseril Narayanan, Thankappan, Shaju, Sanilkumar, Malayil Gopalan, Rijuraj, Manoharakumar Prasannakumari & Simi, Mattappilly Sugathan, 2023, Fimbristylis jaleeliana, a new species of Cyperaceae from Kerala, India, Phytotaxa 626 (3), pp. 208-212 : 208-211

Fimbristylis jaleeliana Sunil, Ratheesh & Shaju sp. nov. ( Fig. 1 ).

Diagnosis:— This species is superficially similar to F. dichotoma (L.) Vahl, by the presence of ligulate leaves, two stigmas and biconvex trabeculate nut but differs from it in having horizontally creeping rhizome with solitary culms (vs. short non-creeping rhizome with tufted culms), narrow leaves (vs. broad leaves), simple to compound inflorescence with 1–10 spikelets (vs. simple to decompound with 2 to many spikelets), small and setaceous involucral bracts (vs. long and leafy), long spikelets (vs. short spikelets), non winged rachilla (vs. prominently winged rachilla), long glumes (vs. short glumes), three stamens with long anthers (vs. one or two stamens with short anthers), long stigmatic lobes which is longer than style (vs. short stigmatic lobes which is shorter than style) and long brown to black coloured nuts (vs. short cream- coloured nuts).

Type:— India, Kerala, Kannur district, Chooral, Payyanur , (12°12'27.35"N Lat & 75°16'3.29"E Long.), elevation 60 MSL, 23 August 2017, M.K. Ratheesh Narayanan & C. N. Sunil 4841 (Holotype: MH! ; Isotype CALI!, SNMH!) .

Erect perennial rhizomatous herb; rhizome horizontal, creeping, up to 7 cm long, 1.5– 4 mm across, light brown to dark brown, covered with brown scales. Culms 25–90 cm tall, 1–2.5 mm across, terete, ribbed, glabrous. Leaves 6–35 cm long, 0.7–2 mm wide, linear, semi-terete, sometimes canaliculate, acute at apex, pubescent more towards on lower half; ligule a row of hairs; sheaths 2–6 cm long, cylindrical with rounded back, densely pilose. Corymbs usually simple rarely compound, bearing 2–10 spikelets, lax, sometimes culm bearing single spikelet; rays 1–3 or absent; bract 1–3, the longest up to 12 mm long and 1 mm wide, setaceous, acute at apex, hirsute. Spikelets solitary, 6–20 mm long and 1–2 mm wide, ovate-lanceolate, linear- lanceolate or linear, acute at apex, terete, pale brown, densely many flowered; rachilla not winged. Glumes 3–4 x 1.7–2 mm, ovate-oblong, obtuse or rounded and mucronate at apex, pale brown, chartaceous, glabrous, 3-nerved. Stamens 3; filaments 2.5–4 mm long; anthers 1.8–2.2 mm long, oblong, apiculate, yellow. Ovary ca. 0.5 mm long, subglobose; style 2–3 mm long, flattened, fimbriate; stigmas 2, 2.5–3.5 mm long, pubescent. Nuts 1.2–1.5 x 0.8–1 mm, obovate, biconvex, cuneate at base, rounded-truncate at apex, brown to black coloured, trabeculate, each side cancellated with 7–10 rows of transversely oblong cells, vertically 5–8 ridged; gynophores 0.1–0.2 mm long.

Additional specimen examined (Paratype):— INDIA, Kerala, Kannur district, Thaliparamba, Nadukani , October 2021, C. N. Sunil & M.K. Ratheesh Narayanan 4580 ( SNMH!) .

Phenology: —Flowering and fruiting from July through October.

Etymology:⸺The species epithet is named after renowned plant taxonomist from India, Late Dr. Abdul Jaleel, former Professor and Research Guide of Botany, at Sir Syed College, Thaliparamba, Kerala.

Conservation status:⸺This plant has been provisionally assessed here as Data Deficient (DD) according to IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria (IUCN, 2017). The available information is inadequate to assess the risk factor, though the plant was found in two localities in Kannur district. It is currently known only from the type localities. Investigations are needed in adjacent similar habitats to evaluate its overall distribution, number of populations and subpopulations and mature individuals.

Habitat, distribution and biotic association:̅ The new species grows in the lateritic grasslands at an elevation of 60 MSL in association with Utricularia reticulata Smith (1805: 119) , Eriocaulon madayiparense Swapna et al., (2012: 19) , Chrysopogon narayanii Sunil et al., (2017: 307) Fimbristylis pokudaniana Sunil et al., (2016: 164) , etc. It is possibly surviving in very fragmented populations of a narrow range of distribution on the lateritic plateau. The species is being subjected to the pressure of habitat destructions due to mining activities.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Fimbristylis jaleeliana. A. Habit; B. Base of plant showing rhizome; C. Rhizome with culm base; D. Inflorescence; E. A portion of rhizome showing scales; F. C.S of culm; G. Leaf lamina, sheath and culm; H.A portion of leaf sheath and lamina showing ligule; I. Centre of corymb showing single spikelet and involucral bract; J. Single spikelet; K. Rachilla; L. Glume abaxial view; M. Glume side view; N. Mature spikelet with stamens; O. Stamens; P. Pistil; Q. Nut.