Stipa klimesii var. pubescens M. Nobis, 2014

Nobis, Marcin, Nobis, Agnieszka, Nowak, Arkadiusz & Nowak, Sylwia, 2014, Stipa klimesii (Poaceae), a new species from Western Himalayas (India), Phytotaxa 174 (3), pp. 173-180 : 176-177

Stipa klimesii var. pubescens M. Nobis , var. nov.

Type:— INDIA. NW India, Jammu and Kashmir State, Ladakh, Zanskar : Zara , Spangchen Do , 4520 m a.s.l., 1 September 2001, 33°22.7’N / 77°45.1’E, L . Klimeš 1477 (holotype KRA!, isotype PRA!) .

This taxon has shortly pubescent sheaths of culm leaves, vs. glabrous sheaths of culm leaves in the nominal variety.

Similar species:― Stipa klimesii is morphologically similar to S. roborowskyi . The two species differ from each other mainly in the character of ligules of vegetative shoots, which in S. klimesii are always longer [(2–)3.5–7.5(–9) vs. 0.5–1.5(–2) mm]. Additionally, the new species has a longer anthecium [(7–)8.3–9.5(–10.5) vs. (6.0–)6.5–7.5(–7.7) mm] and longer hairs on seta [(1–)1.3–2(–2.3) vs. (0.3–)0.5–1.1(–1.4) mm]. Other characters differing between S. klimesii and S. roborowskyi are listed in Table 1 and illustrated in Figs. 1–2 .

The original material of S. roborowskyi (holotype in LE!, isotype in W!) has very short hairs on seta, not longer than 0.7 mm ( Roshevitz 1920). A similar length of hairs on seta is given for S. roborowskyi in the Flora of China ( Wu & Phillips 2006). However, during revision of herbarium material of the species from China, we observed that the length of hairs on seta varies from 0.3 up to 1.4 mm.

Although Stipa roborowskyi is listed as a member of the flora of Ladakh ( Freitag 1985, Klimeš & Dickoré 2006), all material seen and previously referred to S. roborowskyi is in fact S. klimesii . Stipa roborowskyi occurs in Pamir, Karakorum, Kunlun and the Inner Himalayas ( Tzvelev 1968, Freitag 1985, Lu & Wu 1996, Wu & Wang 1999, Noltie 2000). Specimens of S. roborowskyi collected from south-western China and Nepal ( Dickoré 1995, Wu & Phillips 2006) need to be revised.

Stipa klimesii is also similar to S. purpurea . These two species differ in the shape of their panicle, which in S. klimesii is contracted with straight branches, and in S. purpurea is lax with flexuous branches. In contrast to S. purpurea , S. klimesii has longer ligules of the vegetative shoots, shorter awn and seta ( Table 1). Moreover, the hairs on seta in S. klimesii are shorter to equal than those occurring on the column, whereas in S. purpurea the hairs on seta are longer than to equal to those on the column.

Stipa purpurea is a polymorphic and variable taxon, particularly in the lengths of its glumes, anthecium, callus, awn, as well as the hairiness of its anthecium. Stipa purpurea is a widely distributed species in the central Asian mountains, occurring from India, Pakistan, Afghanistan via Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan to southern Kazakhstan and via central China up to Nepal and Bhutan ( Tzvelev 1968, 1976, Freitag 1985, Lu & Wu 1996, Noltie 2000).

Based on the morphology of its anthecium, which is completely covered by dense, short hairs, Stipa klimesii is somewhat similar to S. purpurea var. arenosa Tzvelev (1968: 60) , which occurs in mountains of Central Asia ( China). However, these taxa differ in the lengths of their awns, anthecium and glumes; in S. klimesii these structures are much shorter than in S. purpurea var. arenosa ( Tzvelev 1968) .

Micromorphological variation:― Stipa klimesii differs from the above-mentioned species in its lemma micromorphology, especially in the shape of silica bodies ( Fig. 2 ). In S. klimesii silica bodies are ovate and/or elliptic to elongated, often with a single shallow constriction at the mid-point ( Fig. 2B, C ). In S. roborowskyi and S. purpurea silica bodies are reniform or broadly-elliptic to more or less rectangular, without constrictions ( Fig. 2E, F, H, I ). In comparison to S. roborowskyi and S. purpurea , the new species also has smaller and less frequent hooks ( Fig. 2 ). All of these species have a narrowly elliptic scar on the callus base ( Fig. 2 A, D, G ) and a densely pilose callus. However, hairs on callus in S. roborowskyi are generally somewhat longer than in S. klimesii and S. purpurea ( Table 1).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Selected morphological characters of Stipa klimesii (from the type). A. Panicle. B. General habit. C. Awns with anthecia. D. Abaxial surface of leaves. E. Adaxial surface of leaves. F. Upper part of anthecium. G. Callus. Scale bars: A–C: 1 cm, G: 1 mm.

FIGURE 2. Micromorphology of the callus and the dorsal surface of lemma (superior and lateral view) in Stipa klimesii (A–C), S. roborowskyi (D–F), and S. purpurea (G–I). Abbreviations: h – hook, l – long cell, mh – macrohair, p – prickle, s – silica body, c – cork cell. All hooks are orientated to the distal apex. Stipa klimesii – India, L. Klimeš 1155, 1156 (KRA), S. roborowskyi – China, Xinjiang, Qiemo Xian, Konqibulaker, 19 July 1988, S.G. Wu, H. Ohba, Y.H. Wu, Y. Fei s.n. (MOIS 4373370); S. purpurea – Kyrgyzstan, Naryn distr., Kei-Suu, 15 August 1986, Abdarova s.n. (FRU).